What the Battery Passport Means for Researchers and Material Suppliers

By Muhammad OsamaReviewed by Lexie CornerMay 19 2025

The battery passport creates a digital record that mirrors the physical battery’s lifecycle, capturing data on material sourcing, manufacturing history, and sustainability metrics.

It aims to increase transparency across the global battery value chain by standardizing the collection and exchange of reliable data among stakeholders.

Image Credit: Fahroni/Shutterstock.com

Developed as part of a broader push toward responsible and circular battery production, the battery passport provides a foundation for traceable, auditable, and comparable information. Ultimately, it functions as a quality seal based on sustainability criteria agreed upon by industry, academia, regulators, and civil society.

Achieving this vision requires coordination across a broad ecosystem—auditors, manufacturers, regulators, IT providers, and public institutions—to create an infrastructure that is both scalable and interoperable.¹

Regulatory Drivers

Global regulations focused on circular economy and sustainability are accelerating the implementation of battery passports ^2-4

In the European Union (EU), the battery passport is a core component of Regulation 2023/1542, which took effect on February 18, 2024.²

This regulation applies to all batteries sold in the EU, including those in electric vehicles (EVs), industrial systems, and light means of transport (LMT). It mandates that, starting February 18, 2027, all industrial batteries over 2 kWh and all LMT and EV batteries must be accompanied by a digital battery passport.²

The passport must include specific data: a unique identifier, basic technical specifications (such as production date, model, and chemical composition), and updated performance and durability records over the battery’s lifespan, including during repair or repurposing.²

These requirements apply across the battery supply chain, from raw material suppliers and cell manufacturers to automotive OEMs and battery recyclers. The regulation aims to increase accountability, traceability, and sustainability throughout the lifecycle.²

In the United States, similar goals are being addressed through regulatory incentives. The Inflation Reduction Act (IRA), particularly Section 45X, includes provisions such as the Advanced Manufacturing Production Credit. To qualify for the $7,500 EV tax credit, manufacturers must show that critical minerals are sourced or processed in the U.S. or in countries with free trade agreements, or recycled in North America.³

At least 50 % of the value added for each mineral must come from qualifying sources. These provisions are already in effect and apply to eligible EV models, including the Tesla Model Y, Tesla Model 3 Long Range, Tesla Model X (2025), Chevrolet Equinox EV (2024), Chevrolet Blazer EV (2024), and Ford F-150 Lightning (2022–2025). While the U.S. does not currently mandate a formal battery passport, development efforts are underway.⁴

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Importance for Researchers

Battery passports offer researchers access to standardized, traceable data across the battery lifecycle. This supports work on recyclability, lifecycle assessment, and ethical sourcing of materials. The structured data environment created by battery passports enables faster validation of new technologies and materials.

The increased transparency also encourages interdisciplinary collaboration (particularly between materials science, policy, and sustainability research) and provides a practical framework for addressing key challenges in battery innovation.^5,6

For example, researchers could use battery passport data to study how different chemistries degrade under real-world use, model cradle-to-grave CO₂ emissions, or assess the impact of material sourcing choices on lifecycle sustainability.

Impact on Material Suppliers

Battery passports place new demands on material suppliers to provide verified, traceable, and low-carbon inputs. With the EU set to require digital passports for EV and industrial batteries by 2027, suppliers must adapt to stricter documentation standards, including carbon footprint disclosures and proof of responsible sourcing.⁷

This is especially important for suppliers of critical materials like lithium and cobalt, which face growing scrutiny over environmental and ethical concerns.

For instance, a lithium producer aiming to comply with EU passport requirements might need to implement on-site emissions tracking, secure third-party certifications, and digitize sourcing documentation to align with carbon disclosure rules. Non-compliance could result in production delays, regulatory penalties, or reputational damage.

At the same time, these requirements present an opportunity. Suppliers that can meet or exceed sustainability standards may differentiate themselves in the market, build stronger relationships with OEMs, and play a larger role in the shift toward responsible battery supply chains.⁷

From Compliance to Opportunity: Navigating Battery Passport Implementation

Implementing battery passports introduces both technical and operational challenges for stakeholders across the battery value chain.

A major hurdle is adapting to evolving regulatory standards, such as the EU Batteries Regulation. Many companies will face high initial costs due to inconsistent data standards and the difficulty of collecting and consolidating information from multiple sources.

There are also concerns about data confidentiality and system interoperability. Companies must ensure that sensitive information is protected and that only authorized parties can access it.⁸

Despite these obstacles, early adopters may benefit from increased trust and market differentiation. Battery passports can reduce procurement costs by 2–10 % and lower pre-treatment and recycling costs by up to 20 %. In the EU, they could help cut carbon emissions by as much as 1.3 million metric tons annually.

The system also empowers consumers to make informed choices and creates new business models in reuse, repurposing, and remanufacturing, supporting a more circular and sustainable battery economy.^7,9

So, the battery passport is more than just a regulatory tool. For researchers, it enables new opportunities in material innovation and lifecycle analysis. For material suppliers and manufacturers, it creates both pressure and incentive to adopt more responsible and traceable practices. By engaging early, stakeholders can stay ahead of regulatory demands and help shape a more transparent and resilient battery supply chain.

To understand how this regulation is being implemented and what it means for automakers and consumers, watch:

To learn more about how battery materials are recovered, reused, and repurposed across the supply chain, explore these articles:

• What Is Black Mass Recycling?
• Sustainable Battery Recycling: How Watercycle Technologies is Closing the Loop
• Second Life Batteries: Benefits and Drawbacks of Recycling Lithium-Ion EV Batteries
• Enhancing EV Battery Recycling Through Multi-Robot Collaboration

References and Further Reading

1. Battery Passport [Online] Available at https://www.globalbattery.org/battery-passport/ (Accessed on 14 May 2025)
2. Document 32023R1542 [Online] Available at https://eur-lex.europa.eu/eli/reg/2023/1542/oj (Accessed on 14 May 2025)
3. H.R.5376 - Inflation Reduction Act of 2022 [Online] Available at https://www.congress.gov/bill/117th-congress/house-bill/5376/text (Accessed on 14 May 2025)
4. Battery Passports Around the World: Key Battery Regulatory Developments and Trends [Online] Available at https://www.openbatterypassport.com/global-battery-passport-regulations (Accessed on 14 May 2025)
5. Berger, K., Schöggl, J., Baumgartner, R. J. (2022). Digital battery passports to enable circular and sustainable value chains: Conceptualization and use cases. Journal of Cleaner Production, 353, 131492. DOI: 10.1016/j.jclepro.2022.131492, https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S0959652622011131
6. Berger, K., Baumgartner, R. J., Weinzerl, M., Bachler, J., Preston, K., & Schöggl, J. (2023). Data requirements and availabilities for a digital battery passport – A value chain actor perspective. Cleaner Production Letters, 4, 100032. DOI: 10.1016/j.clpl.2023.100032, https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S2666791623000052
7. Bellomo, A., & Castro Maestre, J. A. (2022). Impact assessment of the introduction of Digital Product Passport in the Battery Eco-System by Agent-Based Modeling Simulation. https://www.politesi.polimi.it/handle/10589/215677
8. Rizos, V., & Urban, P. (2024). Barriers and policy challenges in developing circularity approaches in the EU battery sector: An assessment. Resources, Conservation and Recycling, 209, 107800. DOI: 10.1016/j.resconrec.2024.107800, https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S092134492400394X
9. Holman, J. (2024) Battery Pass consortium analysis reveals benefits, challenges of European Battery Passport [Online] Available at https://www.spglobal.com/commodity-insights/en/news-research/latest-news/metals/041124-battery-pass-consortium-analysis-reveals-benefits-challenges-of-european-battery-passport (Accessed on 14 May 2025)

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