EU Battery Regulation

This card focuses on the specific evaluation criteria and operational practice for the 'performance and durability standards' and 'safety requirements' for batteries under Articles 9–14 and Annexes IV and V of the EU Battery Regulation (Regulation (EU) 2023/1542). Under the Regulation, stationary battery energy storage systems (ESS), EV batteries (with a capacity above 2 kWh), and batteries for light means of transport (LMT batteries, subject to phased application) placed on the EU market are legally required to have quantitative evaluation criteria established for rated capacity, power output, initial charge/discharge efficiency, cycle life, and capacity retention (State of Health, SoH). The Regulation also sets requirements for preventing thermal runaway, protecting against overcharging and short circuits, and enabling non-destructive real-time retrieval of status data through the battery management system (BMS).

This card focuses on the data structure, access rights management, and QR code/data carrier-based supply chain traceability practice for the 'Digital Battery Passport' under Articles 77–78 and Annex XIII of the EU Battery Regulation (Regulation (EU) 2023/1542). From February 2027, all LMT batteries, industrial batteries, and electric vehicle (EV) batteries with a capacity above 2 kWh placed on the EU market will be legally required to have an electronic 'Battery Passport' issued and linked to a unique identifier. The passport records manufacturer information, chemical composition (cobalt, lithium, nickel, and recycled content shares), carbon footprint, supply chain due diligence verification results, and real-time SoH data, and is built on digital infrastructure that provides immediate access via a QR code engraved on the battery casing.

This card focuses on the roadmap for 'collection targets' for end-of-life batteries, 'material-specific recycling efficiency,' and the minimum 'recycled content' obligation for recovered metals (cobalt, lithium, nickel, and lead) in new battery manufacturing, under Articles 54–71 and Annexes VIII and XII of the EU Battery Regulation (Regulation (EU) 2023/1542). To achieve closed-loop resource circularity across the full battery life cycle, the Regulation progressively raises the mandatory collection rates for portable and LMT batteries (for example, 63% for portable batteries by 2027 and 51% for LMT batteries by 2030), while also setting numerical recycling efficiency targets for the treatment process (90% by 2027 and 95% by 2031 for cobalt, nickel, and copper; 50% by 2027 and 80% by 2031 for lithium). In addition, from 2031 onward, new batteries manufactured are legally required to contain a minimum share of recovered and recycled metal (16% cobalt, 6% lithium, 6% nickel, and others).

The EU Battery Regulation (Regulation (EU) 2023/1542) is a directly applicable regulation that comprehensively governs the entire lifecycle of every battery placed on the EU market. Two requirements have particularly significant practical impact on companies: carbon footprint (CFP) disclosure and classification, and the Digital Battery Passport (DBP). For electric vehicle batteries, light means of transport (LMT) batteries, and industrial batteries above 2 kWh, companies must quantitatively calculate and disclose CO2 emissions from the manufacturing process, obtain third-party verification, and equip each battery with a digital passport — accessible via QR code — covering its history, material composition, and supply chain information, including human rights and environmental due diligence.