From 2027, the EU is implementing a game-changer for batteries: digital passports. These mandatory documents, required for new batteries exceeding 2 kWh (traction, two-wheeled vehicles, and industrial), aim to create a more transparent and sustainable battery life cycle.
The Battery Pass Consortium, including Germany’s Fraunhofer IPK institute, is developing the system’s framework. Essentially, the passport tracks a battery’s journey, from raw materials to disposal. It records everything – origin, usage history, and detailed data on sustainability.
This digital record includes a battery’s carbon footprint, how ethically materials were sourced, components used, presence of harmful substances, resource efficiency, performance, and lifespan. Additionally, the passport logs battery health and provides information on recyclability, repair options, and disassembly instructions to maximize component reuse.
Think of it as a secure software system. Data is stored in various locations, with responsibility shared. The European Commission plays a key role, managing a central passport registry and a data portal offering an overall view of most battery passports.
This digital passport is a first in Europe. It paves the way for similar passports for other products – textiles, electronics, and building materials – all with the goal of promoting responsible supply chains and environmental and social compliance by reducing child labor and pollution in countries where the raw materials are produced and keeping track of the export of old batteries.
Reference- Clean Technica, National Geographic, BBC, The Guardian, European Union website, Battery Pass webstie