The Guardian answers: how problematic is mineral mining for electric cars?

The data we have leaves little doubt that resource extraction will be significantly lower for electric cars compared with their petrol or diesel equivalents as recycling increases.

also:

“[Human rights] problems have always existed in mining,” [Amnesty International’s] Dummett said. “I strongly believe that this problem has been exaggerated hugely by opponents of the energy transition, the fossil fuel lobby.”

these concerns sounded like big downsides of EVs; glad to learn they’ve been overblown