In a groundbreaking move aimed at enhancing transparency and accountability in the electric vehicle (EV) industry, the European Union has mandated that electric vehicles sold within its borders from February 2027 must be equipped with a battery passport. This revolutionary document is designed to provide comprehensive details about the EV's battery pack, covering critical information such as supply chain specifics, sources, and other essential data related to the raw materials used.
While the European Union regulators are still in the process of defining the specific information to be included in a battery passport, they have established the Battery Pass Consortium to collaboratively finalize the details. The program, funded by the German Federal Ministry for Economic Affairs and Climate Action, has garnered support from key industry players such as Audi, BMW, and others. The technical leadership for this initiative is provided by Circulor, a leading battery passport manufacturer.
The current proposal envisions the inclusion of 90 pieces of information distributed across seven categories, covering various aspects such as general battery and manufacturer information, compliance, certifications and labels, battery carbon footprint, supply chain due diligence, battery materials and composition, circularity and resource efficiency, and performance and durability.
Speaking about the initiative, Ellen Carey, Chief External Affairs Officer at Circulor, emphasized that the objective is to create accountability within the supply chain. The battery passports, estimated to cost between €7 and €12.80 per battery, aim to trace the journey of raw materials, ensuring transparency regarding who handled them, when, and where.
Circulor, as the technical lead, has already developed a battery passport for EVs, showcasing its ability to reveal the sources of crucial battery components such as cobalt, graphite, lithium, mica, and nickel. Leveraging industrial Internet of Things data, the passport identifies organizations in the manufacturer's supply chain. Application programming interface data and enterprise resource planning data are then utilized to generate a digital twin of the battery, creating a comprehensive paper trail.
Ellen Carey explained the process, stating, "We take the information we know about that nickel and we create a digital replica of it. Where was it mined? What was its geolocation? What was its weight? What was the elapsed time in terms of processing? Then all of that information that we gather – at every step along the journey about that same piece of nickel – we can tie to that VIN or that QR code."
To balance transparency with privacy concerns, different levels of battery information will be accessible to various stakeholders. Manufacturers will have access to the full scope of information contained in a battery passport, while the EV owner will be privy to more simplified information and data.
This pioneering initiative represents a significant step towards fostering sustainability and ethical practices within the electric vehicle industry, aligning with the European Union's commitment to environmental responsibility and supply chain transparency. As the Battery Pass Consortium continues to shape the future of EV documentation, a new era of accountable and eco-conscious mobility is on the horizon.