A battery’s lifecycle generates information at every stage, from manufacturing and quality testing to real-world use, maintenance and recycling. Connecting these records helps manufacturers, original equipment manufacturers (OEMs) and supply-chain teams understand a battery’s history and make better-informed decisions.
In our previous article, "Digital Battery Passport Integration Architecture: What Should the Technology Stack Look Like?", we explored how the technology behind a Digital Battery Passport (DBP) connects different systems to create a structured, accessible record. But what does that process look like in practice?
Let us follow a hypothetical electric vehicle (EV) battery from the factory floor to the recycling facility and explore how its data can support traceability throughout its lifecycle.
1. Manufacturing: Where the Battery’s Digital Journey Begins
Our journey starts on a battery production line, where individual cells are assembled into modules and integrated into a finished battery pack.
Several systems may generate information during this process. Manufacturing Execution Systems (MES) record production activities, Enterprise Resource Planning (ERP) systems manage business and supplier information, while quality management systems store inspection results and test records. Engineering systems provide the technical specifications against which the finished battery is assessed.
Depending on the applicable requirements, relevant information may include:
- Battery manufacturer and identification details.
- Manufacturing date and technical characteristics.
- Performance and durability parameters.
- Relevant test results and supporting documentation.
- Information needed to identify the finished battery and its model.
These records do not automatically become Battery Passport data. Manufacturers must identify which information is applicable, map it to the relevant requirements, and ensure that the correct records are associated with the finished battery.
This is also where data quality matters. If a production record is incomplete or linked to the wrong battery identifier, the error could affect the information published later.
2. From Factory Records to a Digital Identity
Once the finished battery is ready to be placed on the market, the responsible economic operator must ensure that its Battery Passport is created, implemented and maintained in accordance with the applicable requirements.
Under Article 77 of Regulation (EU) 2023/1542, Battery Passports become mandatory from 18 February 2027 for electric vehicle batteries, light means of transport (LMT) batteries and industrial batteries with a capacity greater than 2 kWh placed on the market or put into service.
The Passport contains information about the battery model and information specific to the individual battery. It is linked to the battery through a QR code and unique identifier.
For our EV battery, this digital identity provides a way to connect relevant information from manufacturing with the record that accompanies the battery through subsequent stages.
The underlying data may remain distributed across different business systems. The Passport does not require every source database to be replaced or every internal manufacturing record to be made public. Instead, relevant information must be structured, maintained and made accessible according to the applicable requirements and access rights.
The economic operator placing the battery on the market remains responsible for ensuring that the Passport information is accurate, complete and up to date, even when another organisation is authorised to perform practical tasks on its behalf.
3. Vehicle Integration and Everyday Use
Our battery is now installed in an electric vehicle and enters service. Its data journey continues.
During operation, the Battery Management System (BMS) can monitor relevant parameters such as temperature, voltage, charging cycles and battery state of health. Vehicle servicing and diagnostic systems may also generate records of maintenance, repairs or component replacements.
Not all operational data needs to be transferred continuously to the Battery Passport. The information required depends on the applicable data points, battery category and regulatory provisions. The European Commission clarifies that dynamic information must be updated at least when a relevant change in battery status occurs or is being considered. More frequent updates may be appropriate for certain data where technically feasible and proportionate.
For manufacturers and OEMs, this creates an important integration challenge: identifying which system is authoritative for each data point and establishing when updates should occur.
A reliable process might connect BMS or service records to a data management layer, validate relevant changes, and update the Battery Passport through an authorised process.
This helps maintain a current record without assuming that every sensor reading must be published in real time.
4. Maintenance, Repair and Decisions About Second Life
After several years, our battery’s performance declines. A technician assesses its condition and determines whether it can continue operating in the vehicle, be repaired, or be considered for another application.
The decision depends on the battery’s condition and the technical and safety requirements of the intended use. Relevant performance information, service history and dismantling guidance can help qualified professionals evaluate the available options, subject to their applicable access rights.
A battery that is no longer suitable for its original application may still have potential for reuse or repurposing. For example, a battery could be assessed for a stationary energy storage application, provided it meets the necessary requirements.
The data must follow the battery through this transition. If a battery is repurposed or remanufactured, Article 77 requires a new Battery Passport linked to the previous Passport. This allows the new record to reflect the battery’s changed status and relevant information while preserving the connection to its earlier history.
A simple repair, however, does not automatically require a new Passport. The distinction between repair, repurposing and remanufacturing matters when determining the appropriate process.
5. Recycling: Closing the Data Loop
Eventually, our battery reaches the end of its useful life and is directed towards recycling.
At this stage, information about its composition, dismantling procedures and relevant safety precautions can help authorised recyclers handle it appropriately and recover valuable materials. Access to restricted information depends on the applicable legal provisions and the user’s legitimate role.
Recycling can also generate information about recovered materials and the battery’s final treatment. Such information may support wider resource-efficiency and circular-economy activities, although it should not automatically be assumed that every recycling record must be added to the original Battery Passport.
The legal lifecycle of the Passport also has a specific endpoint. Under the European Commission’s current Battery Passport guidance, when a battery becomes waste, responsibility passes to the producer, producer responsibility organisation or selected waste management operator, as applicable. If the battery is subsequently recycled, its Battery Passport ceases to exist.
The wider value-chain lesson remains: data collected during manufacturing, use and end-of-life processing can help organisations understand material flows and improve future products and processes. That broader learning depends on suitable data-sharing arrangements, reliable records and clear responsibilities.
What Manufacturers and Supply-Chain Teams Should Take Away
Following one battery from production to recycling reveals that a Digital Battery Passport is not a standalone database exercise. It depends on connections between systems, organisations and lifecycle events.
Manufacturers and OEMs can prepare by mapping relevant data to its source, assigning clear ownership, validating information before publication and defining how changes will be handled. Supply-chain teams should also establish how information can be exchanged securely with suppliers, service providers and end-of-life operators.
The aim is to maintain a reliable relationship between the battery, its digital identity and the information needed at each relevant stage. This requires coordination across engineering, manufacturing, quality, sustainability, IT, compliance and after-sales functions.
How BASE Supports Battery Lifecycle Traceability
The BASE project, Battery Passport for Resilient Supply Chain and Implementation of Circular Economy, is developing and validating a trusted, interoperable Digital Battery Passport framework. Its work addresses challenges including battery data traceability, data authenticity, secure information exchange and interoperability across the value chain.
These priorities are directly relevant to the journey described here. Connecting manufacturing records with operational and end-of-life information requires organisations to preserve data context and trust while allowing appropriate access to different stakeholders. BASE explores how a Digital Battery Passport can support this connected approach and contribute to more transparent battery supply chains and circular-economy practices.
Closing Thoughts
A battery’s digital journey begins long before its first vehicle journey and extends beyond its final use. When relevant information remains traceable, accurate and accessible to the right stakeholders, manufacturers and supply-chain teams are better equipped to manage compliance, assess battery condition and support responsible end-of-life decisions.
The practical challenge is to connect the data that already exists, maintain it as the battery changes, and make it useful throughout the battery lifecycle.
The BASE project has received funding from the Horizon Europe Framework Programme (HORIZON) Research and Innovation Actions under grant agreement No. 101157200.
References & Resources
European Commission - Digital Product Passport for Batteries: https://single-market-economy.ec.europa.eu/single-market/digital-product-passport/batteries_en
European Commission - EU Digital Product Passport FAQ for Batteries: https://single-market-economy.ec.europa.eu/single-market/digital-product-passport/eu-digital-product-passport-faq-batteries_en
European Union - Regulation (EU) 2023/1542 Concerning Batteries and Waste Batteries: https://eur-lex.europa.eu/eli/reg/2023/1542/oj
European Commission - Digital Product Passport: https://single-market-economy.ec.europa.eu/single-market/digital-product-passport_en
BASE Project - Battery Passport Data Lineage: From Source System To Published Passport: https://base-batterypassport.com/blog/traceability-9/battery-passport-data-lineage-138