On the 1st of February 2027, the EU battery passport, mandated by the EU Battery Regulation, will become compulsory. This means that all light means of transport batteries on the EU market will require a unique battery passport made retrievable via QR code. As this deadline looms closer and closer, battery actors are expected to perform supply chain due diligence on social and environmental risks, ensure minimal recycling efficiency of 65% for lithium-based batteries and comply with stringent carbon footprint requirements before the rollout of their battery passports. They also need to determine if the passports will be managed in-house or if they will work with traceability solution providers.
Discussions on the battery passport largely centre around data, including secure data exchange and interoperability. We know that a battery passport should store relevant battery data throughout the entire battery lifecycle, containing detailed information about a battery’s production, testing, and history. However, determining exactly what data is needed, defining who can access it and developing ways to standardise it are just some of the details that should be ironed out before battery stakeholders can fully adopt the battery passport.
As part of its work to improve the efficiency and sustainability of the battery reverse logistics process, BatteReverse is developing a prototype of the battery data space platform. It will support a battery passport, which allows tracking of the battery status across all the reverse logistics steps and allows the use of both unique battery data and big data by stakeholders in the battery value chain. The specific objectives of the BatteReverse battery data space are:
- To support a common representation of battery data across manufacturers and systems, allowing for smooth interoperability
- To identify, extend and define new data models
- To define how to fuse data sources to allow different use cases
- To enable secure and auditable data transactions
- To allow faster estimation of battery state and data analytics
In order to do this, BatteReverse is building on the work of Battery Pass, and on its integration with Catena-X, an open and collaborative data ecosystem designed specifically for the automotive industry. BatteReverse also builds on the Eclipse Dataspace Components1 to support secure and interoperable interaction between actors.
BatteReverse also counts industry perspectives as highly important to its work on the battery data space, since this solution is being developed for them. That is why on 28 March 2025, BatteReverse held a data access workshop gathering stakeholders in the Li-ion battery reverse logistics value chain to understand their insights into common data access patterns, data access rules and effective logging and monitoring. The participants of the workshop were composed of:
- Researchers with expertise on battery dismantling, discharge and the battery passport
- Consultants who are experts in battery assessment, policies and closed-loop strategies
- Industry players knowledgeable about battery logistics, battery diagnosis, battery marketplaces and ecosystems
Battery data attributes
When asked to choose the most important data attributes that should be included in the battery passport, a majority agreed that a battery passport ID, battery ID, battery status, SoH value and safety measures were the most useful data points while carbon footprint information, remaining power capability and information on accidents were considered the most challenging attributes for organisations to provide. On the issue of carbon footprint, participants discussed the lack of clear methodologies to measure it, making it difficult to compare the data of various suppliers without a standardised process. This gap leaves these data points susceptible to greenwashing. Despite this, participants believe that the lack of standardised methodologies to measure carbon footprint will not hinder the rollout of the battery passport, as this can be improved gradually.
Process models
BatteReverse is modelling the current AS-IS process of the reverse logistics value chain based on existing literature and meetings with various stakeholders. By the end of the project, a digital twin of the TO-BE model of the battery reverse logistics process with optimised scenarios based on time, cost, safety and sustainability will be created.
This TO-BE model uses the BatteReverse Data Model which was elaborated based on the Battery Pass’ Battery Passport Data Attribute Longlist. The BatteReverse Data Model includes all data attributes required and suggested for the EU battery passport, with added fields that are linked to the second life, alongside their definitions and further relevant data dimensions. Additionally, BatteReverse is using GS1 standards for the identification and labelling of the batteries.
In a data mapping exercise, participants were asked to determine data points that they thought were mandatory or optional for each step of the reverse logistics process. Interestingly, participants focused on the mandatory aspect of the data, with most of the votes going to:
Extration of battery packs
- Identifiers
- Product data
Assessment of the battery pack
- Product data
- Battery usage
- Performance and durability
- Diagnostic results
Repair
- Identifiers
- Battery usage
Battery dismantling
- Product data
Recycling
- Battery materials and composition
- Diagnostic results
- Battery carbon footprint
Repurposing
- Diagnostic results
- Performance and durability
Packing and transport
- Battery transportation and packaging
- Battery materials and composition
2nd life product usage
- Performance and durability
- Battery materials and composition
- Diagnostic results
Discussions around this exercise included the need to make sure that mandatory data points would need to be standardised to ensure that the data can be used by all stakeholders in the value chain. Additionally, there needs to be deeper discussions on exactly what information would be needed and how easy or hard it would be to get them, to determine the absolute minimum number of data points that would be deemed mandatory at each step.
Secure and Auditable BatteReverse Data space
BatteRevese has defined and validated a comprehensive framework for secure data exchange for the development of a battery data space ecosystem. This framework is based on Data Access Policies and Distributed Ledger Technology (DLT), specifically blockchain, which will allow it to operate on a decentralised system where data is distributed amongst stakeholders and entities. No single entity will have centralised control over the whole set of data, and instead, each stakeholder will be able to control and manage how and with whom they will share information. The use of a Distributed Ledger combined with Data Access Policies, ensure that there will be optimal data access, data usage, data sovereignty, encryption and anonymisation, which is important when dealing with sensitive information such as battery composition, health, ownership and usage.
When asked what they thought about the adoption of a DLT solution for the battery data space, workshop participants expressed their apprehension about adopting blockchain technology. They cited high energy consumption, cost of implementation and maintaining blockchain nodes, and resistance to change from legacy processes as barriers to adoption. Furthermore, it was argued that once blockchain is implemented, it is irreversible, meaning that there will be very little room for mistakes or changes to the data that stakeholders will provide. Other concerns included the lack of skills to understand or implement blockchain by stakeholders, the danger of blockchain not being interoperable with other systems and the often disorganised processes and data that stakeholders have.
Participants thought that if blockchain were to be used, there would need to be a very user-friendly interface to facilitate data sharing, some training on how to use it, clear government rules and possibly some support for onboarding of smaller companies that would otherwise not survive the extra costs. One participant mentioned that with stiff competition from battery recycling companies in Asia, adding a layer of complexity or cost would put Europe at a disadvantage.
Towards the end of the workshop, participants were separated into breakout rooms to discuss specific topics of interest to BatteReverse. The discussions in these meetings are recorded below.
Battery Passport
BatteReverse aimed to understand what stakeholders were experiencing or thinking in terms of meeting the requirements for the battery passport. The discussion focused on three aspects: regulations, industry adoption and market conditions.
- Regulations – Participants shared that multiple aspects still need to be clarified by policymakers before the implementation of the battery passport.
- Industry adoption – Battery companies are aware of the battery passport and they tend to prefer more realistic and minimum solutions. On the other hand, there are digital product passport providers but they still do not offer a full-scale digital battery passport. This will need to be improved before it becomes mandatory.
- Market conditions – Standards still need to be set for the different technical aspects of the battery passport. Meanwhile, data preparation can and should start now. Work on standardisation is an ongoing task within JTC 24.
BatteReverse asked participants what they thought were the biggest challenges for the adoption of an open and secure data exchange paradigm. Participants reiterated that it is important not to do everything at the same time – gradual adoption of standards and implementation will be more accepted. Other points discussed include:
- Open and secure is not enough. The system also needs to be interoperable and compatible with existing legacy systems.
- Upstream actors (OEMs) seem to have more influence on the battery passport. Downstream actors don’t seem to have much leverage to affect it.
- There needs to be incentives for adoption.
- Start with a minimum viable product and iterate towards an evolving solution.
- It is critical that what is adopted in 2027 works.
- IP issues need to be managed.
- Trust in data security is crucial.
- There needs to be discussions and decisions on who gets access to the different types of data.
Battery value chain
Participants emphasised the importance of high-quality data in State of Health (SoH) assessments, noting that accurate evaluation is essential for determining the appropriate type of safety packaging required for battery transport. There was a shared understanding that the battery's condition must be directly linked to specific transport and safety requirements. Rather than enforcing a fully detailed battery passport from the outset, stakeholders expressed a clear preference for a phased implementation —starting with the most critical data and gradually expanding the scope over time.
Battery dismantling
BatteReverse has encountered problems with battery dismantling because each battery manufacturer has different standards. Battery packs often have different structures, materials and components and this makes it very difficult to find a standard way to dismantle them quickly and efficiently. Therefore, it would help dismantlers immensely if battery packs included the following information:
- Technical specifications
- Instructions
- Safety procedures
- Hazardous materials
- Charge level
- Exact parameters and chemistry information
- Advice on tools to use for the batteries
- Safety instructions for transport
- The whole history of the battery (service action)
Battery assessment
The battery’s SoH is the most important information when doing assessment. However, there is currently a lack of standardisation in the SoH of batteries.
BatteReverse sought input from participants on the key challenges surrounding battery assessment. Participants emphasised that the battery market is still in its early stages, with minimal standardisation. Key challenges discussed included:
- The lack of standardised testing procedures for batteries, which hinders broader market adoption and makes comparisons between different battery types difficult.
- The absence of clear definitions for key metrics, such as SOH and State of Safety (SOS), further complicates efforts to assess battery health.
- The economic feasibility of testing is limited to large batches of the same battery cells, which excludes smaller-scale operations.
Potential solutions and needs identified during the session included:
- The development and adoption of standards such as GTR 22 and Euro 7 to ensure a certified baseline for energy assessment.
- The need for cost-effective pre-testing methods to quickly decide whether batteries should be recycled or repurposed for second-life applications.
- Ongoing initiatives by IEEE and DIN/DKE are pushing for standardised testing methods, but clear data access protocols, especially during inspections, are also critical for enhancing battery lifecycle management.
Other initiatives are working on standardisation include:
Conclusion
Stakeholders along the battery value chain understand that the battery passport will require them to share information with others. However, there needs to be clearer guidelines and standards from policymakers as well as comprehensive solutions from digital product passport providers that take into account security and interoperability with legacy systems. They are generally wary of the changes the battery passport will bring to their operations because there will be more effort and more cost to implement it. Some type of support, especially for smaller companies, will ensure that they can still remain competitive. They are also reluctant to adopt blockchain technology since it is complicated to use and is essentially irreversible. Digital product passport suppliers must consider ways to allow users to change or update the data they input, whether or not they use a blockchain solution. For the type of data that would need to go into the battery passport, stakeholders have a lot of wants but need to be realistic about how difficult it will be for actors on the value chain to provide all this data. There should be a gradual implementation of the battery passport requirements, focusing on data that is absolutely important and then adding more data points later on.
As the project considers the needs and experiences of stakeholders to be central in designing a sustainable and viable plan for the battery passport, the feedback gathered from this workshop is being used to refine the BatteReverse solution.
