EV worked record: what an electric vehicle battery passport entry contains

An electric vehicle battery passport is an electronic record for one individual traction battery, linked to that battery by a unique identifier and a data carrier on the battery. The record holds model information that is shared across batteries of the same model, unit information that belongs only to the single battery, and information that results from use. From 18 February 2027, each electric vehicle battery placed on the market or put into service in the Union must have such a record under Article 77 of Regulation (EU) 2023/1542.

The worked entry below is illustrative in form only. Values shown as placeholders mark positions in a record, not measurements from a real battery.

What counts as an EV battery for this record?

An EV battery is a battery intended to provide electric power for traction in a road vehicle. The category matters because the passport duty in Article 77 applies to every EV battery, with no capacity threshold of the kind that applies to industrial batteries. A battery built for another purpose and later fitted to a vehicle does not change category by fitting alone. Category follows the intended use recorded at placing on the market, together with the design and the declaration that accompanies the battery. Where a battery could serve more than one purpose, the record must state the category that the responsible operator has assigned and the basis for that assignment in the supporting documentation. Ambiguity at this step propagates through every later field, because carbon footprint, performance and access rules are read against the category.

Which model fields anchor the EV entry?

Model fields describe the battery model, not the single unit. The entry records the manufacturer name and address, the battery model identifier, the battery category, the chemistry in general terms, the rated capacity and voltage, and the weight. It also records the place of manufacture where Annex XIII requires that detail, and the reference to the EU declaration of conformity. These fields change only when the model changes. A new model identifier, a changed chemistry description, or a revised capacity rating creates a new model layer, not an edit to the old one. Keeping model fields stable allows a reader to compare units of the same model without rechecking identity on every scan. The model layer is the part of the record that a member of the public can expect to see in the public tier.

Which unit fields make the entry specific to one battery?

Unit fields separate one traction battery from every other battery of the same model. The unique identifier is the anchor. Around it sit the manufacturing date or batch reference where required, the serial or unit number as marked on the battery, and any unit level identifiers assigned during production. Unit fields also carry the history that accumulates after placing on the market. State of health values, status changes and use phase events belong at unit level, because two batteries of one model diverge as soon as use begins. A record that shows only model data and no unit data fails the basic test in Article 77. The unit layer is what makes the passport a record of a battery rather than a datasheet for a model range.

How does use history enter an EV record?

Use history enters as dated entries, each tied to the unit identifier and to an event type. Examples of event types are a status change, a repair, a change of owner or holder where the system records that fact, and a measurement of state of health taken at a stated date under stated conditions. Each entry needs a date, a source or actor type, and the value or status recorded. Entries without dates cannot be ordered. Entries without a stated measurement basis cannot be compared with later entries. The record should show gaps as gaps. A period with no measurement is shown as no measurement for that period, not filled by an estimate carried forward silently. Over time the use history becomes the most useful part of the entry for a repairer, a second life assessor or a recycler, because it shows what happened to this battery rather than what the model was designed to do.

What does the worked EV entry look like in outline?

The table below sets out the shape of an EV entry. Placeholder text marks fields that a real record would complete with verified values. No placeholder is a measurement, a rating or a claim about a real battery.

How are carbon and recycled content shown without overclaiming?

Carbon footprint information and recycled content shares sit in the model layer in the first instance, because a declaration under Articles 7 and 8 is drawn up for a battery model per manufacturing plant. The passport entry must not present a model level carbon figure as a measurement of the single unit in front of the reader. It must show the scope of the figure, the life cycle stages covered, and the declaration reference. Where the methodology delegated act position is not settled, the entry must label the timing as expected rather than fixed. Recycled content shares for cobalt, lead, lithium and nickel follow the same discipline. A share is a share of a stated material in a stated battery model, calculated by the method in the applicable act, not a general claim that the battery is recycled. The record keeps the figure, the method reference and the date together so that a later reader can test the claim.

What should a reader check before relying on an EV entry?

A reader checks identity first, then currency, then scope. Identity means the identifier on the battery matches the identifier in the record and the model identifier matches the marking. Currency means the latest dated entry is identified and no later status change is missing. Scope means the reader knows which tier is being viewed, public or authorised, and does not treat an absent authorised field as proof that no such field exists. A final check concerns consistency: capacity, chemistry and weight in the record should match the marking and the declaration reference. Inconsistency does not prove a battery is non compliant, but inconsistency is a reason to seek the underlying documentation before acting. This guide gives general educational information only and does not give legal advice for a particular battery, vehicle or transaction.