Frequently Asked Questions

The project BatteryPass-Ready builds upon the foundation of the Battery Pass project (both funded by the German Federal Ministry for Economic Affairs and Energy). While Battery Pass developed comprehensive guidance, BatteryPass-Ready creates a test environment to enable future Battery Passport solutions in practice.

Key resources from Battery Pass, such as the Content Guidance (DIN-DKE SPEC 99100 and the Data Attribute Longlist) and the Value Assessment, serve as the basis for BatteryPass-Ready activities. The CEN CENELEC JTC 24 Drafts provide the technical foundation for the BatteryPass-Ready project.

The Battery Passport aims to support the sustainable and circular management of batteries by providing a digital infrastructure for the documentation and exchange of relevant sustainability and business data throughout the battery life cycle. In addition to support circular design, extended life cycles, cascaded use, and efficient recycling, the Battery Passport also enables more effective data exchange among stakeholders. It provides a basis for the development of new business models within the battery sector.

The consortium behind the BatteryPass-Ready project involves diverse expertise on the Battery Passport and the technical implementation of the test environment:

Fraunhofer IPK leads the consortium with technical expertise, acatech analyses data requirements and coordinates stakeholder needs, TU Berlin works on detailed test scenarios and GEFEG implements the test system.

VDA, VDMA, ZIV, and Bitkom provide hands-on knowledge as associated partners. In addition, various supporting partners include participants from the battery value chain as well as related service providers, contributing complementary expertise and practical insights.

The aim is to validate technical interoperability, usability, and compliance feasibility for forthcoming digital Battery Passports under realistic conditions. It is important to note that the environment is not a certification system, but a testing and learning platform. More detailed goals and performance indicators are described on our About page.

The test environment is open to all relevant stakeholders along the battery value chain. Economic operators, manufacturers, recyclers, digital service providers, and policymakers along the battery value chain are encouraged to participate and help shape the future Battery Passport ecosystem. During the project phase, access to the test environment is free of charge.

Participants will be able to go through different test scenarios along the lifecycle of the battery passport: From placing the battery on the market to updating and deleting the battery passport. It will involve system functions such as making available controlled data as well as testing completeness and plausibility of battery passport data.

The project consortium develops and optimizes the test environment, aiming for full public release in Q1/2027. In 2026 access to the prototype will be provided gradually to interested users via a short sign-up and approval process.

As a publicly funded project, we are open to all relevant stakeholders who are interested in contributing to the success of our endeavour. You can get involved by:

• Becoming an official supporting partner
• Joining public consultation webinars
• Subscribing to our newsletter or following us on LinkedIn to stay informed

Visit our Contact us page to learn about upcoming opportunities.

BatteryPass-Ready leverages the foundational outputs of the Battery Pass project, including:

• DIN-DKE SPEC 99100,
• Data Attribute Longlist (which is currently being updated), and
• Value Assessment;

In addition, BatteryPass-Ready incorporates technical guidance based on the evolving CEN CENELEC JTC 24 standards, which inform ongoing updates. You can explore new publications and materials on our Resources page.

The EU is introducing digital product passports (DPP) as part of its broader regulatory ambition towards sustainability with the first being required for batteries from 2027. DPPs are included in the EU’s new Eco-design for Sustainable Products Regulation (ESPR), which entered into force in July 2024. These passports are digital records of a product that collect data along its entire lifecycle.

The information held in a DPP helps manufacturing and end-of-life processes to be more sustainable and circular. It also supports consumers in making informed choices. DPPs are key to advancing the European ‘Twin Transition,’ aiming for a more sustainable, circular, and digital economy.

The battery passport is the first DPP to be introduced in Europe and will be a detailed digital record of a battery’s materials, components, and lifecycle. This requirement comes from the EU Battery Regulation and will be mandatory starting in February 2027.

The EU Battery Regulation outlines its requirements for different battery categories. According to Article 77(1), the battery passport will be mandatory from February 2027 for batteries placed or put into service on the EU market including:

• Electric vehicle (EV) batteries.
• Light means of transport (LMT) batteries, such as e-bikes and e-scooters.
• Industrial batteries with a capacity above 2 kWh, such as those used in industrial activities, communication infrastructure or energy storage.

The economic operator who places the battery on the market or puts it into service is responsible for meeting the battery passport requirements. This can be either the manufacturer or the importer.

The term ‘manufacturer’ refers to any natural or legal person that manufactures a battery or has a battery designed or manufactured and markets that battery under its own name or trademark or puts it into service for its own purposes. The ‘importer’ is established within the EU and places a battery on the market from a third country. The economic operator is explicitly allowed to authorise another operator “to act on their behalf”.

For example, if an EU-based car manufacturer buys battery cells and assembles them into an electric vehicle battery, they are considered the manufacturer and thus the economic operator responsible for the battery passport.

The main responsibilities for the battery passport include creating a new battery passport, as well as updating and storing the information within it.

The EU Battery Regulation requires a wide range of data attributes to be included in the battery passport. For EV batteries alone, Article 77 and Annex XIII outline around 80 mandatory data attributes covering the entire battery lifecycle.

The consortium of the project Battery Pass has organised the data attributes into seven content clusters along the battery life cycle:

1. General battery and manufacturer information
2. Compliance, labels, certifications
3. Battery carbon footprint
4. Supply chain due diligence
5. Battery materials and composition
6. Circularity and resource efficiency
7. Performance and durability

The data attributes can be related to the battery model or specific to the individual battery. For the technical implementation, they can also be differentiated by as “static” (unchanging or not changing often) or “dynamic” (changing often over time).

With the battery passport, transparency is created by making comprehensive data available to different actors along the battery life cycle. It is not only a regulatory compliance tool benefitting market surveillance authorities. By closing existing information asymmetries, the battery passport will unlock major value to industry and society alike.

Based on the respective data, informed decisions can be taken, processes be improved, and circular business models enabled – all together leading to an increase in economic value as well as a reduction in negative environmental and social impacts.

To learn more, read The Value of the EU Battery Passport, published in November 2024.