Starting in February 2027, the European Union will require all electric vehicle batteries with a capacity greater than 2 kWh to have their own “passport,” which will be associated with the vehicle identification number (VIN).
Whenever scanned with a QR code reader, this passport will display information about the producer or the handling of its materials, from extraction to the vehicle.
A way to place greater responsibility on manufacturers for the use of transparent supply chains. Although regulators are still working to decide exactly what data should be included in this identifier.
The program is being funded by the German Federal Ministry of Economic Affairs and Climate Action and has strategic partnerships with companies such as Audi and BMW. Circulor, a company in the traceability solutions field, will act as the technical leader.
The current proposal suggests the use of 90 pieces of information, in seven distinct categories, including general information about batteries and manufacturers, compliance, certifications and labels, battery carbon footprint, due diligence in the supply chain, battery materials and composition, circularity and resource efficiency, and performance and durability.
In an interview with Autocar, Circulor’s director of external relations, Ellen Carey, explained that the passports will cost between 7 euros (7.60 dollars) and 12.80 euros (13.95 dollars) per battery and aim to “create accountability in this supply chain – who touched what, when, and where.”
The current battery passport developed by Circulor for EVs can reveal the sources of cobalt, graphite, lithium, nickel, and other materials used in batteries. “Where was it extracted? What was its geolocation? What was its weight? What was the elapsed time in terms of processing?” she added.
Source: Carscoops and Autocar