From February 2027, electric car batteries in the EU will have a digital passport with data about origin, chemistry, and performance.
Liviu Brăteanu
EU
Foto: Pixabay
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Every battery for electric vehicles introduced to the market of the European Union or put into operation starting from February 18, 2027, will need to have a digital passport, and the European Commission has now detailed what information needs to be prepared for the new system. The guide published for the battery industry brings together 71 data points and shows, for each category of battery, what information will be mandatory from launch, what data applies only in certain situations, and what requirements will become operational later.
In short, from February 18, 2027, every battery for electric vehicles, every battery for light means of transport, and every industrial battery with a capacity greater than 2 kWh introduced to the EU market or put into operation will have a digital passport. The Commission's guide inventories 71 data points, from the manufacturer, factory, and date of manufacture to battery chemistry, critical raw materials, capacity, power, lifespan, disassembly information, and performance evolution. For electric vehicle batteries, dynamic data on capacity and power degradation, internal resistance, and battery state information are also mandatory for this category. Some information will not need to be displayed until February 2027. The format for the carbon footprint and its label is yet to be established, information on responsible sourcing becomes relevant from August 2027, and data on recycled content depends on other enforcement measures. The guide does not create additional obligations beyond the EU Battery Regulation. The Commission publishes it so that manufacturers, importers, and other operators can prepare their IT systems and processes ahead of the passport launch.
The digital battery passport is one of the most concrete changes introduced by the new European framework for batteries, as it moves a large amount of technical and traceability information from dispersed documentation into an electronic system associated with each battery covered by the obligation. From February 18, 2027, this will be required for all electric vehicle batteries, for batteries used by light means of transport, and for industrial batteries with a capacity of over 2 kWh.
The category of light means of transport includes batteries used by vehicles such as bicycles and electric scooters covered by the definitions of the regulation, while the industrial category includes storage systems and other high-capacity batteries. The requirements are not identical for each category, and the Commission's document separately marks mandatory, optional, conditional, or information that does not need to be introduced until February 2027.
To identify a battery, the passport must include a unique identifier and the identity of the entity that registers it or is responsible for it. The manufacturer's name, trade name or registered trademark, and the manufacturer's address, including a unique point of contact, are mandatory, while the website address and email can be included when available.
The passport will also identify the battery category, model, batch, serial number, or another element that allows product identification. The place of manufacture is mandatory and must indicate the geographical location of the factory where the battery was produced, and the month and year of manufacture must also be included.
For electric vehicles, this information means that the battery is no longer described only by the model of the car in which it is mounted. It receives its own digital identity, which can be maintained throughout its use and subsequent stages of its life cycle.
The composition of the battery represents another important part of the passport. Weight, capacity, and chemistry are mandatory information, along with hazardous substances present, other than mercury, cadmium, and lead, and with the extinguishing agent that may be used in the event of an incident.
Critical raw materials found in the battery in concentrations of over 0.1% by weight must also be indicated. For an industry dependent on materials such as lithium, nickel, cobalt, and other strategic raw materials, this information provides more precise traceability of the materials incorporated into each product.
The passport goes further than identifying the general chemistry. For relevant operators, detailed information about composition will also be available, including materials used in the cathode, anode, and electrolyte, as well as component numbers and contact details of sources from which spare parts can be obtained.
Another set of data concerns the initial technical performance. Minimum, nominal, and maximum voltage, including the temperature range when relevant, initial power, and power limits are among the mandatory information. For electric vehicle batteries and those for light means of transport, the estimated lifespan expressed in cycles must also be indicated, along with the reference test used for the calculation.
The passport must also include the temperature range that the battery can withstand when not in use. If the manufacturer offers a commercial warranty regarding the calendar life of the battery, this period will be recorded.
For batteries covered by the relevant requirements, information on initial energy efficiency and its evolution throughout the product's life, internal resistance of the cells and the pack, and the conditions of the tests used to estimate lifespan will also be available.
The passport will not only contain the characteristics of the battery at the time it leaves the factory. Some of the data is dynamic and changes as the battery is used, allowing for tracking its degradation.
For electric vehicle batteries, dynamic capacity, capacity degradation, power, power degradation, internal resistance, and its increase are included in the data list. Information on estimated lifespan in cycles and calendar years completes the battery's performance profile.
The document differentiates data on health status depending on the type of battery. For electric vehicle batteries, information on "state of certified energy," or SOCE, is indicated as mandatory, while other indicators such as remaining capacity are provided for other battery categories.
This differentiation is important because the guide does not state that each of the 71 points must be completed for each battery. The list is a common inventory of relevant data for the three categories, and the applicability of each item must be checked separately.
Some information may be recorded periodically during use when applicable. The number of charge and discharge cycles, negative incidents such as accidents, environmental conditions in which the battery operates, including temperature, and the state of charge are part of this category.
The passport also tracks the battery's situation after first use. It must indicate whether it is "original," "repurposed," "re-used," "remanufactured," or has become waste. This information allows distinguishing a new battery from one reused in another application, refurbished, or reached the end of its life cycle.
For repair, reuse, and recycling, technical information is provided that until now may have been difficult to obtain outside the manufacturer. Mandatory data includes disassembly information, with diagrams of the system or pack showing the location of cells, the order of disassembly operations, the types and number of fastening systems that need to be opened, and the necessary tools.
The documentation must also include warnings when there is a risk of damaging components, as well as the number and arrangement of cells. Safety measures and test results demonstrating compliance with European requirements are also part of the provided information.
This data may become important when the battery is no longer suitable for its initial use in a car but can be repaired, reused, or used in an application with lower demands. Information about its condition and composition allows operators in later stages of the chain to better assess what can be done with the product.
The passport will also contain information related to battery management as waste and the EU declaration of conformity. The regulation thus seeks to ensure continuity of information from manufacturing to reuse, remanufacturing, and recycling stages.
Not all environmental components of the system will be fully operational at the launch in February 2027. The guide published by the Commission distinguishes between information that must be available then and those for which the technical or legal framework is yet to be completed.
The declaration regarding the carbon footprint and the associated label does not need to be completed or displayed in the passport in February 2027 in the form provided by this version of the guide, as the format is yet to be established by the relevant enforcement measures.
The situation is similar for information regarding the proportion of cobalt, lithium, nickel, and lead recovered from manufacturing waste or from batteries that have reached the recycling stage after consumption. This data will become applicable depending on the requirements regarding recycled content and the European measures that detail them.
Information on responsible sourcing of raw materials, based on due diligence policy reporting for batteries, is not provided for completion in February 2027, the document indicating the application of relevant requirements starting from August 2027.
This phased implementation means that the passport launched in February 2027 will not represent the final form of the system. Some fields will become relevant later, and the Commission states that the guidance document can be updated as further clarifications regarding data definitions, measurement units, and reporting formats arise.
For the automotive industry and battery manufacturers, the challenge begins even before February 2027. Many pieces of information need to be collected along a supply chain that may include raw material suppliers, active material manufacturers, cells, modules, battery management systems, and car manufacturers.
The Commission publishes the guide precisely so that manufacturers, importers, and organizations responsible for the passport can identify the necessary data and adapt their IT systems, reporting, and internal processes in advance. The document is also relevant for conformity assessment bodies and market surveillance authorities.
The 71 data points thus transform the passport into an information infrastructure for the entire battery chain, not just a simple digital label attached to the product. Some information describes the origin and construction of the battery, others its initial performance, and another category tracks how characteristics change over time during use.
For an electric vehicle battery, the combination of this information can maintain a record of relevant technical characteristics even when the battery is separated from the car in which it was initially installed. Its status can be updated later if the product is reused, refurbished, or reaches the waste management stage.
The passport is part of the broader EU strategy to treat the battery as a product throughout its entire life cycle, from raw materials and manufacturing to use and material recovery. Digital information is used to link these stages and to reduce situations where important data disappears when the battery passes from one operator to another.
The guide published in August 2026 does not modify the obligations already established by European legislation and does not add new requirements for companies. Its role is to translate the information provided in the Battery Regulation into a common structure and to indicate more clearly what needs to be prepared for each category before February 18, 2027.
The Commission also warns that the document does not constitute a binding legal interpretation and does not represent its official position in any litigation. Some elements may be updated as implementing acts are adopted and additional technical details emerge.
For companies introducing batteries to the EU market, the date in February 2027 remains the starting point. From that moment on, an electric vehicle battery, a battery for a light means of transport, or an industrial battery over 2 kWh will no longer circulate in the European market only as a physical product but will also be associated with a digital profile containing information that can continue to be updated throughout its life.
The European regulation on batteries and battery waste was adopted in 2023 and gradually introduces requirements regarding sustainability, performance, safety, raw materials, recycled content, end-of-life management, and information available about batteries.
The digital passport becomes mandatory on February 18, 2027, for electric vehicle batteries, batteries for light means of transport, and industrial batteries with a capacity greater than 2 kWh. The guide published in August 2026 inventories 71 data points and specifies their applicability for each of these three categories.
Implementation will continue after launch. Some information regarding the carbon footprint, recycled content, and responsible sourcing depends on additional deadlines or standards, which means that the volume and structure of the information available through the passport will evolve after February 2027.
In short, from February 18, 2027, every battery for electric vehicles, every battery for light means of transport, and every industrial battery with a capacity greater than 2 kWh introduced to the EU market or put into operation will have a digital passport. The Commission's guide inventories 71 data points, from the manufacturer, factory, and date of manufacture to battery chemistry, critical raw materials, capacity, power, lifespan, disassembly information, and performance evolution. For electric vehicle batteries, dynamic data on capacity and power degradation, internal resistance, and battery state information are also mandatory for this category. Some information will not need to be displayed until February 2027. The format for the carbon footprint and its label is yet to be established, information on responsible sourcing becomes relevant from August 2027, and data on recycled content depends on other enforcement measures. The guide does not create additional obligations beyond the EU Battery Regulation. The Commission publishes it so that manufacturers, importers, and other operators can prepare their IT systems and processes ahead of the passport launch.
The digital battery passport is one of the most concrete changes introduced by the new European framework for batteries, as it moves a large amount of technical and traceability information from dispersed documentation into an electronic system associated with each battery covered by the obligation. From February 18, 2027, this will be required for all electric vehicle batteries, for batteries used by light means of transport, and for industrial batteries with a capacity of over 2 kWh.
The category of light means of transport includes batteries used by vehicles such as bicycles and electric scooters covered by the definitions of the regulation, while the industrial category includes storage systems and other high-capacity batteries. The requirements are not identical for each category, and the Commission's document separately marks mandatory, optional, conditional, or information that does not need to be introduced until February 2027.
To identify a battery, the passport must include a unique identifier and the identity of the entity that registers it or is responsible for it. The manufacturer's name, trade name or registered trademark, and the manufacturer's address, including a unique point of contact, are mandatory, while the website address and email can be included when available.
The passport will also identify the battery category, model, batch, serial number, or another element that allows product identification. The place of manufacture is mandatory and must indicate the geographical location of the factory where the battery was produced, and the month and year of manufacture must also be included.
For electric vehicles, this information means that the battery is no longer described only by the model of the car in which it is mounted. It receives its own digital identity, which can be maintained throughout its use and subsequent stages of its life cycle.
The composition of the battery represents another important part of the passport. Weight, capacity, and chemistry are mandatory information, along with hazardous substances present, other than mercury, cadmium, and lead, and with the extinguishing agent that may be used in the event of an incident.
Critical raw materials found in the battery in concentrations of over 0.1% by weight must also be indicated. For an industry dependent on materials such as lithium, nickel, cobalt, and other strategic raw materials, this information provides more precise traceability of the materials incorporated into each product.
The passport goes further than identifying the general chemistry. For relevant operators, detailed information about composition will also be available, including materials used in the cathode, anode, and electrolyte, as well as component numbers and contact details of sources from which spare parts can be obtained.
Another set of data concerns the initial technical performance. Minimum, nominal, and maximum voltage, including the temperature range when relevant, initial power, and power limits are among the mandatory information. For electric vehicle batteries and those for light means of transport, the estimated lifespan expressed in cycles must also be indicated, along with the reference test used for the calculation.
The passport must also include the temperature range that the battery can withstand when not in use. If the manufacturer offers a commercial warranty regarding the calendar life of the battery, this period will be recorded.
For batteries covered by the relevant requirements, information on initial energy efficiency and its evolution throughout the product's life, internal resistance of the cells and the pack, and the conditions of the tests used to estimate lifespan will also be available.
The passport will not only contain the characteristics of the battery at the time it leaves the factory. Some of the data is dynamic and changes as the battery is used, allowing for tracking its degradation.
For electric vehicle batteries, dynamic capacity, capacity degradation, power, power degradation, internal resistance, and its increase are included in the data list. Information on estimated lifespan in cycles and calendar years completes the battery's performance profile.
The document differentiates data on health status depending on the type of battery. For electric vehicle batteries, information on "state of certified energy," or SOCE, is indicated as mandatory, while other indicators such as remaining capacity are provided for other battery categories.
This differentiation is important because the guide does not state that each of the 71 points must be completed for each battery. The list is a common inventory of relevant data for the three categories, and the applicability of each item must be checked separately.
Some information may be recorded periodically during use when applicable. The number of charge and discharge cycles, negative incidents such as accidents, environmental conditions in which the battery operates, including temperature, and the state of charge are part of this category.
The passport also tracks the battery's situation after first use. It must indicate whether it is "original," "repurposed," "re-used," "remanufactured," or has become waste. This information allows distinguishing a new battery from one reused in another application, refurbished, or reached the end of its life cycle.
For repair, reuse, and recycling, technical information is provided that until now may have been difficult to obtain outside the manufacturer. Mandatory data includes disassembly information, with diagrams of the system or pack showing the location of cells, the order of disassembly operations, the types and number of fastening systems that need to be opened, and the necessary tools.
The documentation must also include warnings when there is a risk of damaging components, as well as the number and arrangement of cells. Safety measures and test results demonstrating compliance with European requirements are also part of the provided information.
This data may become important when the battery is no longer suitable for its initial use in a car but can be repaired, reused, or used in an application with lower demands. Information about its condition and composition allows operators in later stages of the chain to better assess what can be done with the product.
The passport will also contain information related to battery management as waste and the EU declaration of conformity. The regulation thus seeks to ensure continuity of information from manufacturing to reuse, remanufacturing, and recycling stages.
Not all environmental components of the system will be fully operational at the launch in February 2027. The guide published by the Commission distinguishes between information that must be available then and those for which the technical or legal framework is yet to be completed.
The declaration regarding the carbon footprint and the associated label does not need to be completed or displayed in the passport in February 2027 in the form provided by this version of the guide, as the format is yet to be established by the relevant enforcement measures.
The situation is similar for information regarding the proportion of cobalt, lithium, nickel, and lead recovered from manufacturing waste or from batteries that have reached the recycling stage after consumption. This data will become applicable depending on the requirements regarding recycled content and the European measures that detail them.
Information on responsible sourcing of raw materials, based on due diligence policy reporting for batteries, is not provided for completion in February 2027, the document indicating the application of relevant requirements starting from August 2027.
This phased implementation means that the passport launched in February 2027 will not represent the final form of the system. Some fields will become relevant later, and the Commission states that the guidance document can be updated as further clarifications regarding data definitions, measurement units, and reporting formats arise.
For the automotive industry and battery manufacturers, the challenge begins even before February 2027. Many pieces of information need to be collected along a supply chain that may include raw material suppliers, active material manufacturers, cells, modules, battery management systems, and car manufacturers.
The Commission publishes the guide precisely so that manufacturers, importers, and organizations responsible for the passport can identify the necessary data and adapt their IT systems, reporting, and internal processes in advance. The document is also relevant for conformity assessment bodies and market surveillance authorities.
The 71 data points thus transform the passport into an information infrastructure for the entire battery chain, not just a simple digital label attached to the product. Some information describes the origin and construction of the battery, others its initial performance, and another category tracks how characteristics change over time during use.
For an electric vehicle battery, the combination of this information can maintain a record of relevant technical characteristics even when the battery is separated from the car in which it was initially installed. Its status can be updated later if the product is reused, refurbished, or reaches the waste management stage.
The passport is part of the broader EU strategy to treat the battery as a product throughout its entire life cycle, from raw materials and manufacturing to use and material recovery. Digital information is used to link these stages and to reduce situations where important data disappears when the battery passes from one operator to another.
The guide published in August 2026 does not modify the obligations already established by European legislation and does not add new requirements for companies. Its role is to translate the information provided in the Battery Regulation into a common structure and to indicate more clearly what needs to be prepared for each category before February 18, 2027.
The Commission also warns that the document does not constitute a binding legal interpretation and does not represent its official position in any litigation. Some elements may be updated as implementing acts are adopted and additional technical details emerge.
For companies introducing batteries to the EU market, the date in February 2027 remains the starting point. From that moment on, an electric vehicle battery, a battery for a light means of transport, or an industrial battery over 2 kWh will no longer circulate in the European market only as a physical product but will also be associated with a digital profile containing information that can continue to be updated throughout its life.
The European regulation on batteries and battery waste was adopted in 2023 and gradually introduces requirements regarding sustainability, performance, safety, raw materials, recycled content, end-of-life management, and information available about batteries.
The digital passport becomes mandatory on February 18, 2027, for electric vehicle batteries, batteries for light means of transport, and industrial batteries with a capacity greater than 2 kWh. The guide published in August 2026 inventories 71 data points and specifies their applicability for each of these three categories.
Implementation will continue after launch. Some information regarding the carbon footprint, recycled content, and responsible sourcing depends on additional deadlines or standards, which means that the volume and structure of the information available through the passport will evolve after February 2027.
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