Durability and repairability information: what a passport shows about life, repair and spare parts

Durability and repairability information in a battery passport is an information set, not a promise. Durability information states the performance and durability values for the model, with test conditions, and the expected lifetime basis where Annex XIII requires it. Repairability information points to dismantling detail, part numbers and spare part sources in the authorised tier, and to removability and replaceability information for portable and LMT batteries under Article 11. The information set allows a reader to assess, with other evidence, whether a battery is likely to last, whether it can be repaired, and whether spare parts are available.

The information set does not itself guarantee life, repairability or parts availability. Those outcomes depend on use, on the repairer, and on supply, as well as on design.

What durability information does the passport show?

Durability information in the public tier shows electrochemical performance and durability parameters for the model: rated capacity, round trip efficiency, internal resistance, cycle life test result with C rate and conditions, and, for LMT batteries, capacity retention and related values. The values are test results under stated conditions, and the passport shows the conditions alongside the values. Expected lifetime information, where required, shows the basis on which the expectation was formed, such as the test and the assumptions about use. A reader who sees a cycle life figure without conditions cannot judge durability, and a reader who sees an expected lifetime figure without a basis cannot judge whether the expectation applies to the intended use. Durability information is therefore read with conditions and basis, not as a headline number.

What repairability information does the passport show?

Repairability information in the authorised tier shows dismantling sequences, fastening techniques, tools required, warnings, cell layout, part numbers for components, and contact details for sources of replacement spares. The information is written for a person with a legitimate interest who will work on the battery, and it assumes competence and safety precautions. The public tier indicates the existence of repairability information and, for portable and LMT batteries, the removability position in general terms, without reproducing the full dismantling detail. Repairability information does not include a repair manual for every fault, a guarantee that a repair will succeed, or a statement that a battery can be repaired by an end user where the design requires a professional. The passport points to the information. The repair decision rests on inspection, testing and the repairer’s assessment.

How do removability and replaceability fit?

Removability and replaceability for portable batteries and LMT batteries are governed by Article 11, with Commission guidance on harmonised application published in January 2025. A portable battery must be readily removable and replaceable by the end user, with commercially available tools or no tools, without specialised or proprietary tools unless provided free of charge, and without damage to the battery or the product, subject to the derogations and conditions in Article 11. An LMT battery must be removable and replaceable by an independent professional, with the conditions the article provides. The passport record should be consistent with the removability position for the product, and should not claim a removability outcome that the product documentation does not support. Where instructions for removal and replacement are provided online, the record can point to their existence. Removability is a product design duty. The passport is a record that should be consistent with it, not a substitute for it.

What does the durability and repairability table show?

How is durability and repairability information checked?

The information is checked by comparing the public values with the technical documentation and test reports, by checking that dismantling detail matches the model revision, and by checking that spare part sources are current and reachable. A dismantling diagram for an earlier revision, presented without a version note, fails the check. A spare part source that no longer supplies the part fails the check in practice, even when the record is formally complete. Checking should include a sample contact or retrieval test where the system allows it, so that a source listed in the record is shown to be a source in fact, not only in form. A check that verifies only the presence of a field, without testing the route it points to, is incomplete.

What must durability and repairability fields never claim?

Durability and repairability fields must never claim that a battery will last a stated period, that a repair will succeed, that spare parts will remain available for a stated period beyond what the operator has committed to, or that a battery can be repaired safely without the safety measures. Those claims require evidence and commitments beyond the passport information set. This guide gives general educational information only and does not give legal advice for a particular battery, product or repair.