Checklist · Compliance & EPR

Battery Passport Data: What to Collect from Day One

Passport-ready data starts at manufacture: cell chemistry and supplier, pack architecture, carbon footprint, recycled content by metal, and a lifetime record of state of health, faults and ownership transfers, all tied to a persistent unique identifier.

Priya Nair

EPR & Compliance Lead

3 min read Updated 2026-01-26

Compliance team reviewing chain-of-custody documents on a large screen in a modern meeting room, screen content abstract

The short answer

On this page4 sections

Key takeaways

1Passport data is easiest to collect at manufacture and hardest to reconstruct later.
2Core data covers identity, composition, carbon footprint, performance and end-of-life information.
3Use-phase data such as state of health becomes valuable for reuse decisions.
4Data governance, access rights and retention should be designed in from the start.

Data captured at manufacture

The EU Battery Regulation requires a battery passport for EV batteries, light means of transport batteries and industrial batteries above 2 kWh from February 2027. Much of the required information originates at manufacture: manufacturer identity, battery model and category, production date and place, chemistry, weight and rated capacity, and the presence of hazardous substances.

Carbon footprint information, supply chain due diligence details and recycled content shares also depend on manufacturing and sourcing records. Capturing these systematically, linked to each battery's identifier, is far easier than assembling them later from fragmented supplier documents.

Data captured in use

Performance and durability data become important once the battery is in service. The regulation includes parameters related to state of health and expected lifetime, and the battery management system is the natural source for them. Recording key events such as deep discharges, high-temperature exposure and accidents helps future users judge the battery's condition.

For fleets and repurposers, this history can materially change reuse decisions. A battery with a documented, benign usage profile is a stronger candidate for second life than one with no records, even at similar measured capacity.

State of health and capacity fade over time
Charge throughput and cycle counts
Temperature extremes and abuse events
Accident and repair history

Data needed at end of life

Recyclers and repurposers need dismantling instructions, safety information, part numbers and detailed composition. The passport is designed to make this available to persons with a legitimate interest, which should make disassembly safer and material recovery more efficient.

When a battery is repurposed, a new passport is created and linked to the original. Keeping the original data structured and accessible makes that transition straightforward and supports the new operator's own compliance obligations.

Stage	Examples of data
Manufacture	Identity, chemistry, weight, capacity, carbon footprint
Sourcing	Due diligence, recycled content
Use	State of health, throughput, events
End of life	Dismantling, safety, composition details

Passport data by life stage

Field note

Design access rights and retention periods before launch — the passport must outlive the first owner.

Questions

Frequently asked questions

Who owns battery passport data?

The economic operator placing the battery on the market is responsible for the passport. Access rights for other parties are defined by the regulation and its implementing rules.

Can passport data be updated during use?

Yes, dynamic information such as state of health is expected to be updated, and repurposing triggers a new linked passport.

Turn this into a plan for your packs

Send pack counts, chemistry and approximate state of health. You get an indicative value split, a slotted collection window and pre-filled dangerous goods paperwork.

Run the yield calculator

Keep reading

More on compliance & epr

All resources →

Checklist · 3 minAuditing a Battery Recycler: 20 Questions to AskAuditing a recycler means verifying registrations, mass balance, downstream vendor disclosure, insurance, site safety and the ability to produce a certificate that survives a regulator's inspection.Guide · 3 minUS IRA Title IV and Domestic Battery Material SourcingRecycled battery materials processed in North America can count toward domestic content thresholds regardless of where the original material was mined, which makes domestic recycling capacity strategically valuable to vehicle makers claiming credits.Explainer · 3 minMass Balance Accounting for Battery WasteMass balance tracks every kilogram entering a facility against outputs, losses and stock on hand.Data Brief · 3 minRecycled Content Targets: What Cell Makers Must Hit and WhenEU rules set minimum recycled content thresholds per metal, rising in phases through the 2030s, with cobalt and lead at the higher end and lithium and nickel lower initially.Guide · 3 minTransboundary Movement of Battery WasteBattery waste and black mass crossing borders can fall under the Basel Convention and regional shipment rules, requiring prior informed consent.Guide · 3 minEU Battery Regulation and the Digital Battery PassportFrom February 2027, EV and industrial batteries placed on the EU market need a digital battery passport carrying carbon footprint, recycled content, material composition and state-of-health data, accessible via a QR code for the battery's full life.