The electrification of road transport is considered one of the most effective strategies for the decarbonization of the transport sector and climate change mitigation. Lithium-ion batteries (LIBs) represent the best energy storage technology for electric vehicles, but their environmental impact constitutes an urgent issue and, consequently, Life Cycle Assessment (LCA) is increasingly applied for its evaluation. This review analyzes the LCA framework/technical challenges of literature studies on LIBs and explores their environmental impacts in the various life cycle phases, with a particular focus on the production, together with the main influencing factors. Results show that battery production notably affects the environment and the resources, and that the impact of their use depends both on specific batteries and electric grid characteristics. Moreover, batteries second use and recycling/remanufacturing emerges as particularly strategic in the end-of-life management, being characterized by relevant environmental advantages. Furthermore, a picture of the production impact trend for the main Li-ion battery chemistries is given, along with a comparison approach to identify the best performing solution for EV applications. © 2025

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