Jan 5 (Reuters) - A U.S. judge on Thursday said she will rule "in the next couple of months" about whether former U.S. President Donald Trump erred in 2021 when he approved Lithium Americas Corp's plan to build North America's largest lithium mine.

Chief Judge Miranda Du of the federal court in Reno, Nevada, held a Thursday hearing to review the contention from ranchers, environmentalists and Indigenous groups that the Thacker Pass lithium mine would permanently scar a region in northern Nevada that is home to wildlife and key water sources.

The long-winding case comes amid rising global demand for lithium, a key component of electric vehicle batteries.