An electric vehicle (EV) battery uses up just 30kg of raw materials with recycling compared to the 17,000 litres of petrol burned by the average car.
The gap is set to increase further as technological advancements drive down the amount of lithium required to make an EV battery by half over the next decade. The amount of cobalt required will drop by more than three-quarters and nickel by around a fifth.
Over its lifetime, an average fossil-fuel car burns the equivalent of a stack of oil barrels, 25 storeys high. If you take into account the recycling of battery materials, only around 30kg of metals would be lost – roughly the size of a football.
EVs are also far better for the climate, requiring 58% less energy than a petrol car over their lifetime, the study finds.
Source: https://www.transportenvironment.org/press/electric-car-batteries-need-far-less-raw-materials-fossil-fuel-cars-study
To state the obvious: The article linked above assumes EV’s batteries will be recycled.
Using public transport which takes personal vehicles off the road, is an even greater reduction in energy use and much better for the climate, as well as cleaner air in cities. In addition, so far, it appears no countries have been invaded for control of lithium, unlike oil, with the resultant death rate of civilians.