European Commission launches guide that changes the battery market

The European Commission published on Friday, August 21, the updated version of the guide for companies and authorities that need to prepare for the entry into force of the digital battery passport, a new tool that will radically change the way batteries sold in the European Union are identified, tracked, assessed and managed. The document complements EU Regulation 2023/1542 on batteries and battery waste, given that, as of February 18, 2027, every battery for electric vehicles, every battery for light vehicles and every industrial battery with a capacity greater than 2 kilowatt hours (kWh) placed on the market or put into service will have to have its own digital passport.

The guide published on Friday centralizes 71 categories of data and specifies, for each type of battery, which information is mandatory, optional, applicable only in certain situations or temporarily exempted from completion and display. The mandatory information includes the unique identifier of the battery, the identity of the entity registering or responsible for the passport, the name and brand of the manufacturer, its postal address and single point of contact, the battery category, model, series, batch or other identifier, place and date of manufacture, weight, capacity and chemical composition. If available, the manufacturer's website and email address may also be included.

Operators will have to declare the hazardous substances in the battery other than mercury, cadmium and lead, the agent that can be used to extinguish a fire and the critical raw materials present in a concentration greater than 0.1% by weight of the product. The passport will also contain information on the share of renewable materials, the minimum, nominal and maximum voltages, including relevant temperature ranges, the initial power, the power limits and the estimated lifetime.

For batteries for electric vehicles and light vehicles, the cycle life and the reference test used to calculate it will have to be indicated, while for industrial batteries this data will be required when the cycle life can be expressed in cycles. In the case of batteries for electric vehicles, the indication of the capacity threshold at which the product is considered exhausted will also become mandatory, information that does not have to be completed for batteries for light vehicles or industrial batteries.

The document published by the European Commission also requests data on the temperature range that the battery can withstand when not in use, the duration of the commercial warranty, if any, the initial energy efficiency of a complete charge and discharge cycle, the efficiency at half-life, the internal resistance of the cells and the assembly, as well as the charge or discharge rate used in the life cycle tests.

The passport will include the markings required by European legislation, including the symbols for cadmium or lead where applicable, the EU declaration of conformity and information on the prevention and management of battery waste. Manufacturers will have to provide a detailed description of the composition, with the materials used in the cathode, anode and electrolyte, part numbers and contact details of spare parts suppliers.

One of the most important changes concerns the obligation to provide detailed information for dismantling: diagrams of the battery system or pack showing the location of the cells, the sequence of operations, the type and number of fasteners to be removed, the tools required, warnings on the risk of damage to parts, the number of cells and their arrangement. In addition, safety measures and the results of test reports demonstrating compliance with the European Regulation and delegated or implementing acts will be added.

The passport will not be a simple technical sheet frozen at the time of manufacture, as some of the information will need to be updated during operation. Capacity, capacity loss, power, power drop, internal resistance and its increase will become dynamic indicators for electric vehicle and light transport batteries, and in the case of industrial batteries they will be entered when relevant. Where applicable, the energy efficiency of the full cycle will also be monitored, as well as its degradation. The estimated life in cycles and calendar years, the battery health, the remaining capacity and power, the residual efficiency, the evolution of self-discharge and ohmic resistance will be introduced. The type of data will vary depending on the product category: for electric vehicle batteries, the certified energy status will be mandatory, while for light vehicle batteries, the remaining capacity and, where possible, power, efficiency, self-discharge and resistance will count. The passport will also show whether the battery is original, reused, intended for another use, remanufactured or has become waste. Where applicable, the number of charge and discharge cycles, accidents and other adverse events, the environmental conditions in which the battery has operated, including temperature, and the level of charge measured periodically will be recorded.

The new obligation will affect the entire European battery industry, from manufacturers and importers to companies placing products on the market, conformity assessment bodies, supervisory authorities and operators involved in repair, reuse, recycling or waste management.