How Does the Timeline Differ by Battery Category?

The timeline by battery category shows how the same Regulation dates produce different duty sets for portable, LMT, industrial, electric vehicle and SLI batteries, because duties are set by category, by capacity and by rechargeability. A single timeline for all batteries will misstate at least one category, because the passport duty, the carbon footprint duty, the performance duty and the collection duty each follow a different category pattern. Category timelines should therefore be drawn as separate lines, with the same date axis and different duty marks, so that the category pattern is visible at a glance.

Category timeline discipline is the discipline of reading the Regulation by category first and by date second. A duty is first assigned to a category, then to a date, and the timeline entry carries both assignments. A timeline entry that states only a date and a duty, without a category, cannot be applied to a specific battery, because the reader cannot tell whether the duty applies to that battery. A timeline entry with category, duty and date can be applied directly, and it can be checked against the Regulation article that sets the duty for that category.

What is the portable category timeline?

The portable category timeline includes labelling, QR code, removability, collection, recycling and performance duties, without a passport duty and without a carbon footprint declaration duty in the form set for passport categories. The separate collection symbol applies from 18 August 2025, general labelling from 18 August 2026, QR code and removability from 18 February 2027, performance and durability values for general purpose batteries from 18 August 2028, and collection objectives rising to 73 percent by the end of 2030. Each duty should be listed with its article and its category basis, so that the portable line can be checked without reference to the passport lines.

A portable timeline check should confirm that no passport entry appears on the portable line, and that no carbon footprint entry appears in the passport category form. A portable line with a passport entry is a category error, and a portable line without a removability entry for incorporated batteries is a duty omission. The check should be carried out per model, because a model range that mixes portable and other categories needs a separate line per category, not a single line for the range.

What is the LMT category timeline?

The LMT category timeline includes the passport duty from 18 February 2027 without a capacity threshold, carbon footprint declaration duties on the conditional timetable for LMT batteries, performance and durability duties for rechargeable LMT batteries, labelling and QR duties, removability by an independent professional, and collection objectives of 51 percent by the end of 2028 and 61 percent by the end of 2031. The LMT line is the fullest line for a light vehicle battery, because the category carries passport, carbon, performance and collection duties together, each on its own date. The line should be drawn with the passport date fixed and the carbon dates conditional, with the conditional basis labelled.

Worked check: an LMT operator plans to 2027 on the passport date and to 2028 on the carbon date, with the carbon date labelled expected and the act tracked. The plan proceeds on the passport work and holds the carbon presentation work pending the act. A second operator plans both dates as fixed, builds carbon presentation on an assumed method, and must rework the presentation when the act is adopted. The first plan separates fixed and conditional work; the second merges them and pays for rework.

What is the industrial category timeline?

The industrial category timeline splits at 2 kWh for the passport duty, with industrial batteries above 2 kWh carrying a passport from 18 February 2027 and industrial batteries at or below 2 kWh not carrying that duty. Rechargeable industrial batteries above 2 kWh carry carbon footprint declaration duties on a conditional timetable, performance and durability duties, and recycled content duties, while stationary storage systems carry additional safety documentation duties. The split at 2 kWh must be shown on the timeline, with two sublines, above and at or below the threshold, so that a battery near the threshold is not assigned the wrong duty set.

Threshold checking should be carried out per model, with capacity verified from design and test evidence, and the subline assigned on the verified capacity. A model with variants on both sides of the threshold needs a separate timeline entry per variant, because the passport result differs by variant. A single timeline entry for the model, without variant capacity, will be wrong for at least one variant. The entry should state the capacity, the threshold and the resulting duty set, with the evidence reference.

What is the electric vehicle category timeline?

The electric vehicle category timeline includes the passport duty from 18 February 2027 for all electric vehicle batteries, carbon footprint declaration duties on a conditional timetable starting with the earliest fixed date in the conditional sequence, performance and durability duties, recycled content duties, and collection and recycling duties for waste electric vehicle batteries. The electric vehicle line carries the earliest carbon fixed date in the conditional sequence, which makes the act status most urgent for this category, because the fixed date has already passed as checked on 28 October 2026 while the act remains pending, and the conditional calculation therefore governs the expected application date.

Electric vehicle timeline planning should track the carbon methodology act as the critical path, with the expected application date calculated from the act entry into force plus the stated period, and labelled expected. A plan that shows only the fixed date will appear overdue, and a plan that shows only an expected date without the calculation will appear arbitrary. The plan should show the fixed date, the act status, the period and the expected date together, so that the timeline can be understood and updated when the act is adopted.

What is the SLI category timeline?

The SLI category timeline includes labelling, QR code, collection and recycling duties, together with recycled content duties, without a passport duty and without a carbon footprint declaration duty in the passport category form. SLI batteries are starting, lighting and ignition batteries, primarily for vehicles, and the timeline for SLI batteries should not be confused with the electric vehicle timeline, even when both categories serve vehicles. The distinction is purpose: SLI batteries supply starting, lighting and ignition power, while electric vehicle batteries supply traction power, and the duties follow that purpose distinction.

SLI timeline checking should confirm the purpose test for each model, with the starting, lighting and ignition purpose evidenced from design documents. A traction battery misclassified as SLI will miss the passport duty, and an SLI battery misclassified as traction will acquire a passport claim that the category does not require. The purpose note should be filed with the classification note, so that the timeline assignment can be checked from the purpose evidence.

How are category timelines kept together?

Category timelines are kept together in a single timeline table, with a row per category and a column per date, so that the same date can be compared across categories. As checked on 28 October 2026, the table should be version controlled, with the basis for each date labelled fixed, conditional or expected, and with a review date. This guide gives general educational information only and is not individual legal advice. A reader with a specific battery or market decision should check the current Regulation text and any applicable delegated act, as checked on 28 October 2026, before acting.

This guide gives general educational information only and is not individual legal advice. A reader with a specific battery or market decision should check the current Regulation text and any applicable delegated act, as checked on 28 October 2026, before acting. Category timelines are drawn as separate lines on the same date axis, with the basis for each date labelled.