The transition from fossil-fuel powered vehicles to all-electric vehicles (EVs)  is widely seen as a critical part of a more environmentally sustainable way of life. Several governments and automobile manufacturers have announced plans to stop the sales of traditional cars completely. It is true that EVs are more ecologically friendly in multiple ways —  they do not emit pollutant gases such as carbon dioxide or nitrogen oxides, and they are generally more efficient in their energy usage. However, they are associated with several environmental concerns that are less widely known. 

For EVs to have a net-zero environmental impact, they must not be associated with any harmful emissions. Currently, however, only a comparatively small amount of the global electricity production comes from renewable energy sources. In most cases, EVs are powered by electricity generated through power plants that run on fossil fuels and release a large amount of dangerous gases, which defeats their environmentally friendly purpose. During heatwaves intensified by climate change, electric grids get stretched to their full capacities, posing a major logistical challenge in powering EVs in many countries. 

There are also several issues with EV batteries.For a long time, a lack of batteries to store sufficient energy prevented the popularization of EVs. Modern EV batteries have resolved this problem, but their manufacturing process involves steps that are ecologically destructive. For instance, materials such as aluminum and carbon fiber polymers must be extensively used to ensure lighter batteries, which require a lot of energy for production and processing. 

The batteries also rely on lithium, cobalt, and rare earth elements; their mining and processing are linked to a wide range of environmental and humanitarian concerns. Lithium processing requires very large quantities of groundwater, which significantly reduces the water available for farming and herding, badly affecting local communities. The mining of cobalt leaves behind toxic wastes that leach into the environment and affect surrounding communities, and its processing also involves the release of sulfur dioxide and other pollutants. Often, the mining operations take place in underdeveloped countries in the absence of worker safety or environmental regulations. For instance, roughly 70% of cobalt mined globally comes from the Democratic Republic of Congo, where the miners frequently include children.

Additionally, only a small fraction of used EV batteries are recycled. Even the recycling process itself requires large amounts of water and emits pollutants, but not recycling at all would mean that more lithium, cobalt, and rare earth elements must be mined and processed. In addition to the batteries, tires and brakes are known to be a major source of particulate pollution, which increases with their wear and tear. The production of EV motors is also resource intensive and environmentally harmful. 

EVs have come a long way since their inception, and they surely offer a better promise of sustainable transportation compared to traditional cars. Despite the massive ecological footprint of their batteries, EVs are still expected to be more ecologically friendly when calculated over the course of their lifetimes. Special tires and brakes are also being designed to deal with particulate emissions. However, in light of the many unresolved challenges — the lack of widely available energy generated from renewables, the absence of environmental and safety regulations in many mining and processing operations, and the need for environmentally friendly battery recycling methods — EVs are not a silver bullet that saves the environment, and more efforts are needed in fight against climate change.