The short answer is Yes.
The long answer is a bit more complicated than that. Batteries are hard to make, and require some materials that can be difficult to find.
Lithium, one of the main ingredients in a lithium ion battery, is of course needed. People who live near lithium mines in areas such as Australia – which has the world’s largest lithium mine – Chile and Argentina say since mining has ramped up, droughts have as well. Mining may be to blame for the change in weather in the surrounding area.
Some say that too much fresh water is required for the mining process, while others say that salt water is exclusively used. There is still a lot of mystery that surrounds the lithium mining industry, and it’s impact on the environment all around the world.
Others say that once the car is assembled, it spends the next two decades not outputting any emissions, and that is better overall, despite the mining. It can be a difficult thing to quantify, and as mining for lithium continues with the growth of the EV market, we will eventually see just how much the cars on the road have been contributing to the changing environment.