The European Battery Passport: Everything You Need to Know

What is the Battery Pass?

The Battery Pass is a specific Digital Product Passport imposed by EU Regulation 2023/1542 (Battery Regulation) for all batteries over 2kWh intended for stored energy and all electric vehicles.

Entering into force in February 2027, the Battery Pass must provide full transparency on the composition, material provenance and environmental impact of batteries. It is a key element of the European strategy to secure the supply of raw materials (cobalt, lithium, nickel) and accelerate the energy transition.

Regulatory context of Battery Regulation 2023/1542

EU Regulation 2023/1542 is built around three major objectives:

Circular economy for batteries: Increase battery collection and recycling rates. Today, only 50% of used batteries are collected in Europe.

Sustainable raw material supply: Reduce dependence on mining by encouraging recycling. Batteries represent an urban mine for cobalt, lithium and nickel.

Compliance with international treaties: Certify the ethical provenance of materials (no conflict minerals, respect for human rights).

Mandatory Battery Pass data

The Battery Pass must include:

Battery identification: Brand, model, manufacturing date, serial number or unique identifier (QR code), rated capacity (kWh), rated voltage (V), battery chemistry (LFP, NCA, NMC, LMO, etc.).

Energy performance: Rated energy, expected lifespan (cycles or years), initial state of health (100%), expected degradation after 80% (from how many cycles?).

Materials and composition: Content in cobalt, lithium, nickel, tin, copper, aluminium and other critical materials. Weight of each material, recycled share for each material.

Material provenance: Country/region of origin of cobalt, lithium, nickel. Ethical sourcing certifications (Responsible Minerals Initiative, Conflict-Free status).

Carbon footprint: Manufacturing carbon footprint, transport carbon footprint, total carbon footprint (kg CO2-eq per kWh). Comparison vs. European average.

Dismantling and recycling: Proposed dismantling scheme, recovery rate per material, available certified recyclers, safe disposal instructions.

Regulatory compliance: Safety certifications (IEC 62619, UN 38.3), robustness test, thermal and electrical compliance.

Battery Pass timeline

February 2027: Mandatory entry into force of the Battery Pass for all batteries >2kWh and electric vehicles.

Transition 2025-2027: Testing and pilot period. Manufacturers can voluntarily implement the Battery Pass now to test processes.

2024-2025: Publication of final delegated acts specifying the exact content, format and technical requirements.

June 2025: Publication of technical data schema and format standard for the Battery Pass.

October 2025: Opening of compliance tests by accredited third-party certifiers.

Sectors and use cases concerned

Electric vehicles: All new EVs placed on the EU market after February 2027 must have a Battery Pass. This includes cars, buses, trucks, electric two-wheelers.

Energy storage batteries: Stationary batteries for storage (homes, factories, electricity grids) >2kWh must have a Battery Pass.

Industrial batteries: Power batteries for mobile or stationary equipment (forklifts, emergency equipment, etc.).

Portable batteries: From certain capacity thresholds (generally >2kWh), even portable batteries must have a Battery Pass.

Impact on battery manufacturers

Cell/battery pack manufacturers: Must collect and structure data on composition, carbon footprint and provenance. Significant traceability effort.

Automotive manufacturers: Must integrate the Battery Pass from their suppliers, aggregate battery data and implement a QR code accessible to consumers.

Raw material suppliers: Must document the provenance, traceability and carbon impact of their minerals (cobalt, lithium, nickel).

Integration with ESPR

The Battery Pass is a special case of the Digital Product Passport mandated by ESPR. Batteries covered by ESPR must therefore meet both ESPR requirements and those of the Battery Pass, with full overlap.

Systems implementing ESPR must therefore support the specific Battery Pass requirements from now.

Opportunities in the circular economy

Beyond compliance:

Secondhand battery certification: With the Battery Pass, it becomes possible to certify the condition of a used battery, opening a secondhand market.

Circular finance: Financial institutions can use the Battery Pass to assess the quality and residual value of a battery, enabling new models (battery-as-a-service, leasing).

Reverse logistics: The Battery Pass facilitates the collection and sorting of used batteries, optimising recycling.

How to prepare as a battery industrialist

2024-2025: Complete audit of your battery chain. Material traceability (who supplies the cobalt? from where?). Carbon impact documentation.

2025: Integration of a DPP platform like Arianee to host and manage Battery Passes. Implementation of data collection from suppliers.

Q3-Q4 2025: Compliance tests via accredited third parties. Correction of data and processes.

2026: Full Battery Pass deployment for all new models placed on the market in 2027+.

2027: Mandatory compliance. All vehicles and batteries >2kWh sold in the EU after February 2027 must have a complete and accessible Battery Pass.

Conclusion

The Battery Pass is a key element of the European strategy for a circular economy and sustainable material supply. For battery manufacturers and automotive manufacturers, preparing now is critical to meet deadlines and capitalise on innovation and differentiation opportunities.