Lifecycle stages in the record

Lifecycle stages in the record run from raw material extraction and manufacture, through placing on the market and use, to collection, second life where applicable, and recycling. The passport is designed to hold information across those stages, with model level information at the start and individual battery information added during use and at end of life. Each stage needs a date, an owner, and a link to the battery identifier, so the sequence can be followed without a break. A record that holds only the manufacture stage describes a battery that has never been used, and a record that holds only the end of life stage describes a battery with no origin. The stages must be read together.

A lifecycle stage means a distinct phase in a battery life, from material extraction to recycling, with its own operator, duties, and records. The scope is the stages set out in Annex XIII for passport content, for the battery category stated.

What is the legal frame for this stage?

Lifecycle stages in the battery record is not a single event at the end of a battery life. Article 77 and Annex XIII should be read with the definitions in Article 3, because the category of the battery decides which collection and treatment duties apply. A record keeper linking manufacture, use, and recycling entries for one EV battery needs to know the category before any other check, since a portable battery, an LMT battery, an EV battery, and an industrial battery follow different routes. An EV battery record should show the manufacture entry, a use phase state of health entry, a repair entry, and a collection entry, each dated and linked by the same unique identifier.

How are handovers recorded?

For lifecycle stages in the battery record, the handover record should also state the condition of the battery, the reason for transfer, and any safety information passed with it. Stage entries, identifier links, and version history should be retained for each transfer, including consignment notes where waste law requires them. A record keeper linking manufacture, use, and recycling entries for one EV battery should check that quantities at receipt match quantities at dispatch, allowing for the measurement method stated in the record.

How are targets stated and checked?

For lifecycle stages in the battery record, the relevant target may be a collection rate, a recycling efficiency rate, or a material recovery rate, and each target has its own calculation method, reference period, and chemistry scope. The passport ceases to exist after the battery has been recycled, under Article 77, and the record should state the recycling date and the facility, so the closure of the record can be verified. A record keeper linking manufacture, use, and recycling entries for one EV battery should record the source of each figure and the date on which the figure was checked, using a dated snapshot where a figure can change.

How are safety and classification decided?

Lifecycle stages in the battery record may involve a battery that is damaged, swollen, leaking, or otherwise in a condition that changes handling, and the record should state the condition found, the test or inspection applied, and the decision that followed. An EV battery record should show the manufacture entry, a use phase state of health entry, a repair entry, and a collection entry, each dated and linked by the same unique identifier.

What belongs in the passport entry for this stage?

For lifecycle stages in the battery record, the entry should show the stage reached, the operator responsible at that stage, the date of the stage, and a reference to the underlying evidence, without adding a claim about a later stage that has not happened. Stage entries, identifier links, and version history should be linked by identifier, so the passport entry, the handover note, and the treatment record refer to the same battery. A record keeper linking manufacture, use, and recycling entries for one EV battery should check that the passport entry is updated when the stage changes, and that an earlier entry is preserved in version history rather than overwritten without trace. The passport ceases to exist after the battery has been recycled, under Article 77, and the record should state the recycling date and the facility, so the closure of the record can be verified.

What stays open, and how is it followed up?

For lifecycle stages in the battery record, open items may include a missing handover note, a pending test result, a facility report not yet received, or a delegated act not yet published that will set a method or a format. A record keeper linking manufacture, use, and recycling entries for one EV battery should list each open item, name the owner, and give the next review date. An EV battery record should show the manufacture entry, a use phase state of health entry, a repair entry, and a collection entry, each dated and linked by the same unique identifier.

How is a stage change entered without losing history?

A stage change is entered as a new version, not as an overwrite. The manufacture entry stays as version one. A use phase entry, such as a state of health measurement, is added as version two, with the date, the measurer, and the identifier. A repair entry is added as version three, with the work order link. A collection entry is added as version four, with the collector and date. A worked version history shows four versions for one identifier, each dated, with the earlier versions readable. The passport display shows the current stage, and the history shows how the battery reached that stage. An entry that overwrites an earlier stage without a version record destroys the history that the passport is meant to preserve.

A lifecycle record is judged by its links, and a stage entry without an identifier link belongs to no battery in particular.