What the battery passport contains
The passport is an electronic record linked to a unique identifier and accessed through a data carrier such as a QR code. It holds information on the battery model and the individual battery, with different levels of access for the public, interested parties and authorities. Content includes composition, carbon footprint, recycled content, performance and durability information and, for some batteries, state of health.
The economic operator placing the battery on the market is responsible for the passport. When a battery is repurposed or remanufactured, the responsibility can move to the operator who gives it a new life, which is why grading and repurposing sites need to update records.
| Category | Examples |
|---|---|
| Identification | Manufacturer, model, unique identifier |
| Composition | Chemistry, hazardous substances, critical raw materials |
| Sustainability | Carbon footprint, recycled content |
| Performance | Capacity, power, expected lifetime, state of health |
| End of life | Dismantling and safety information |
Recycling efficiency and recycled content
The regulation sets recycling efficiency targets for lithium-based batteries and material recovery targets for specific metals, rising over time. It also introduces minimum recycled content levels for cobalt, lithium, nickel and lead in new batteries, starting in the next decade and increasing later.
Recyclers must document how they meet efficiency and recovery levels, and manufacturers must document recycled content. Both depend on reliable mass balance and traceability, so evidence systems should be designed now rather than when the thresholds take effect.
- Recycling efficiency targets for lithium-based batteries
- Metal-specific material recovery targets
- Minimum recycled content in new batteries
- Documentation methods set by delegated acts
Field note