As Europe accelerates its transition towards clean energy and electric mobility, batteries are becoming one of the most critical assets in the energy system. Electric vehicles, renewable energy storage, and industrial applications all depend on reliable battery performance.
At the same time, batteries rely on rare-earth materials such as lithium, cobalt, and nickel, which are rare, costly, and energy-intensive to extract. Extending the useful life of batteries is therefore essential for sustainability, affordability, and long-term supply security.
One of the most effective ways to achieve this is through the reuse and repurposing of batteries. One such example is electric vehicle batteries. Once they can no longer meet the demanding performance requirements of electric vehicles, they can continue operating safely in less-demanding second-life applications.
Digital Battery Passports (DBPs) are emerging as a key enabler for such transitions, providing the transparency and trust required to scale battery reuse across Europe.
Why Battery Reuse And Repurposing Matter
When electric vehicle batteries are removed from service, they typically retain between 70 and 80 per cent of their original capacity. While this reduced capacity may limit driving range, it remains well-suited to stationary energy storage, backup power systems, and grid balancing applications. Reuse and repurposing allow these batteries to deliver additional value before they reach end-of-life.
Extending battery life brings several benefits. It reduces waste, lowers demand for newly mined raw materials, and decreases the overall carbon footprint associated with battery production. The European Commission has repeatedly highlighted battery circularity as a strategic priority for achieving climate objectives and strengthening Europe’s autonomy in critical raw materials.
Despite these advantages, reuse at scale has remained limited. A major barrier has been the lack of reliable and accessible information about a battery’s condition, history, and remaining performance.
The Information Gap Limiting Second-Life Batteries
Second-life operators have traditionally faced high levels of uncertainty. In many cases, they lack insight into how a battery was used, how often it was charged, whether it was exposed to extreme temperatures, or how rapidly it degraded over time. This lack of transparency increases both technical and financial risk.
To compensate, batteries often undergo extensive testing before reuse. These processes are costly and time-consuming, and in many cases, they undermine the economic viability of second-life projects. As a result, batteries that could still provide years of service are recycled earlier than necessary.
Digital Battery Passports are designed to address this challenge by making lifecycle information available in a structured, standardised, and verifiable way.
Flashback: What Is A Digital Battery Passport?
Under the EU Battery Regulation (EU) 2023/1542, Digital Battery Passports will become mandatory from 2027 for electric vehicle, industrial, and light mobility batteries with a capacity above 2 kWh. Each battery will be linked to a digital record, accessible via a QR code, that contains essential lifecycle information.
This includes data on material composition, carbon footprint, supply chain origin, durability, and performance indicators such as state of health. Importantly, the passport must be updated when a battery is repaired, reused, repurposed, or prepared for recycling. This ensures that information remains current as the battery moves through different lifecycle stages.
The regulatory framework makes clear that battery passports are not static records. They are intended to support traceability, compliance, and informed decision-making across the entire value chain.
How Battery Passports Support Intelligent Reuse And Repurposing
For second-life operators, Digital Battery Passports significantly reduce uncertainty. Access to verified lifecycle data allows stakeholders to assess whether a battery is suitable for reuse and to identify the most appropriate application based on its remaining capacity, degradation profile, and safety indicators.
This improves safety by enabling early exclusion of batteries with known damage or elevated risk. It also improves efficiency by allowing batteries to be matched to applications that align with their remaining performance. In practical terms, this reduces unnecessary testing and helps cost-effectively scale second-life markets.
DBPs also support regulatory compliance. When a battery is repurposed, its updated status, performance parameters, and safety information must be recorded. This creates a clear and auditable trail of responsibility across reuse and repurposing activities.
Academic research has consistently shown that access to digital lifecycle data is essential for safe and compliant battery repurposing, particularly as volumes increase and regulatory scrutiny intensifies.
Supporting Circular Economy And Recycling Goals
Digital Battery Passports’ value extends beyond reuse. When batteries eventually reach end-of-life, accurate information on materials, chemistry, and design supports higher recycling efficiency and improved material recovery. The EU Battery Regulation sets binding targets for recycled content and recovery rates, which require robust data to monitor and enforce.
By linking reuse, repurposing, and recycling through a shared digital record, battery passports help turn circular economy principles into operational reality. They enable batteries to be managed as long-term assets rather than short-lived products.
How the BASE Project Contributes To Smarter Battery Reuse
Within this evolving landscape, the BASE project is actively developing and validating a Digital Battery Passport framework that supports intelligent reuse and repurposing. BASE focuses on secure data sharing, lifecycle traceability, and performance intelligence across the battery value chain.
Through its Digital Battery Passport platform, BASE enables stakeholders to access trusted battery data that supports informed decisions on second-life use. The project integrates traceability with analytical approaches that assess battery condition, safety indicators, and circularity potential. Crucially, BASE works with real-world pilot cases across manufacturing, reuse, and end-of-life contexts to ensure that solutions are practical, scalable, and aligned with EU regulatory requirements.
These efforts position BASE to contribute not only to compliance but also to the development of robust second-life markets that extend battery value while maintaining safety and trust.
Looking Ahead
As battery volumes continue to grow across Europe, extending their useful life will become increasingly important. Digital Battery Passports provide the foundation for safer, smarter, and more economically viable reuse and repurposing. By making trusted battery data accessible throughout the lifecycle, they reduce waste, protect critical resources, and enable new circular business models.
With projects like BASE, Digital Battery Passports are becoming a critical tool for building a more sustainable, transparent, and resilient battery ecosystem, where batteries deliver maximum value before recycling becomes the final step.
The BASE project has received funding from the Horizon Europe Framework Programme (HORIZON) Research and Innovation Actions under grant agreement No. 101157200.
References
European Parliament and Council - Regulation (EU) 2023/1542 concerning batteries and waste batteries: https://eur-lex.europa.eu/eli/reg/2023/1542/oj/eng
European Commission - Environment - Batteries: https://environment.ec.europa.eu/topics/waste-and-recycling/batteries_en
European Commission – Joint Research Centre (JRC) - Sustainability Assessment of Second Life Application of Automotive Batteries: https://publications.jrc.ec.europa.eu/repository/handle/JRC112543
ScienceDirect - Digital product passports for electric vehicle batteries: Stakeholder requirements for sustainability and circularity: https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S2666791624000368
BASE Project - Digital Battery Passport enabling battery lifecycle traceability from mining to recycling: https://base-batterypassport.com/blog/traceability-9/digital-battery-passport-enabling-battery-lifecycle-traceability-from-mining-to-recycling-73
BASE Project - How Digital Battery Passports help meet EU recycling targets: https://base-batterypassport.com/blog/regulations-4/how-digital-battery-passports-help-meet-eu-recycling-targets-43
International Energy Agency (IEA) - Global EV Outlook – battery sustainability and second-life potential: https://www.iea.org/reports/global-ev-outlook-2024