EU Battery Passport: New Rules for the Battery Life Cycle

A new regulation, (EU) 2023/1542, is reshaping the rules governing the battery life cycle in the European Union (EU). The requirements cover every stage, from manufacturing through to reuse. According to the European Commission, they are intended to make this component more transparent and safer for consumers.

One of the regulation’s most significant innovations is the battery passport, although this measure is not expected to take effect until 2027. It is designed to provide detailed battery information, including its origin, the materials it contains and all post-manufacturing details.

According to the European Commission, “the new rules are intended to promote the circular economy by applying to the entire battery life cycle”, delivering greater transparency.

The battery passport will be compulsory not only for electric car batteries, but also for all waste portable batteries, industrial batteries, starting, lighting and ignition batteries, and batteries used in light means of transport, including bicycles, mopeds and electric scooters.

How will the battery passport work?

Unlike the passports people use, this one will not be issued as a physical booklet. Instead, the battery passport will be available through a QR code, “which is linked to a unique identifier assigned by the economic operator placing the battery on the market”.

Scanning this QR code will make it possible to access information covering the battery’s full life cycle. More precisely, it will cover almost all of that life cycle, as the information shown will vary according to the type of user in order to safeguard intellectual property.

“Not everyone will have access to the same data. The manufacturer can access everything. But the buyer will only be able to see general information (…) such as the battery’s capacity and state of health.”

• Ellen Carey, head of external relations at Circulor, a company that produces battery passports

Although access will be restricted, these passports will give buyers more information about their vehicle, particularly about a component that is among the most expensive parts of fully electric vehicles.

This measure could also affect the process of buying a used car, giving prospective buyers more tools to support their decision.

What information must a battery passport contain?

Under EU Regulation 2023/1542, the information available to the public must include: the manufacturer’s name; the battery category and identifying information; place and date of manufacture; weight; capacity; chemical composition; hazardous substances present, in addition to mercury, cadmium or lead; the extinguishing agent to be used; and the critical raw materials it contains.

It must also include:

• carbon footprint;
• responsible sourcing;
• recycled content;
• share of renewable content;
• rated capacity (Ah);
• minimum, nominal and maximum voltage;
• power capability (watts) and limits;
• service life, measured in cycles;
• capacity fade threshold;
• the temperature range the battery can withstand while not in use;
• guaranteed storage lifetime;
• energy efficiency at the initial cycle and at 50% of its life cycle;
• internal resistance of battery cells and cell batteries;
• the C-rate for the relevant cycle-life test, meaning the charge or discharge rate that correlates with the lithiation or delithiation rate of the electrode material;
• marking and labelling requirements;
• EU declaration of conformity;
• information on preventing and managing waste batteries.

Restricted battery passport data

As well as the publicly available information, further details will also be recorded, such as detailed composition, dismantling, condition and safety information. These data will be accessible only to the European Commission, assessment bodies and market surveillance authorities.

Source: Autocar