What documents do I need for an EV battery passport?
For a battery in an electric vehicle, you collect broadly the same basic data as for other batteries: technical specifications, a declaration of conformity, data on composition and hazardous substances, and information on collection and recycling at end of life. The difference lies in two additional documents that the Battery Regulation specifically links to larger batteries: a declaration on the carbon footprint and information on the origin of the raw materials in the battery, such as cobalt, lithium, nickel and natural graphite.
These two documents are precisely where EV batteries most often go wrong, not because the requirement is unclear, but because the data often does not lie with you. The cell manufacturer, the battery assembler and sometimes a pack builder sit between the raw material and the vehicle, and each of them holds part of the information. Whoever compiles the passport must first map out these links before the list is complete.
The list of documents you collect
The basis is the same for every battery: name and address of the manufacturer or importer, the battery type and chemistry, capacity and voltage, a list of materials used and any hazardous substances, the declaration of conformity that accompanies the placing on the market, and instructions for disassembly, storage and recycling. For an EV battery, this is supplemented by information on the state of the battery during use, such as data relevant for a second life or for recycling after the first application.
Furthermore, the regulation requires a carbon footprint declaration: a calculation of the emissions attributable to the production of the battery, drawn up according to a specified method. And due diligence information on the supply chain: where do the critical raw materials come from, and what steps have been taken to assess risks in that chain. These are not boxes you simply tick yourself; they typically come from the cell manufacturer or from the party that purchases the cells.
Why the origin of raw materials weighs most here
With an e-bike battery or a smaller industrial battery, the chain is often short: one manufacturer, one importer, done. With an EV battery, the chain is usually longer, and that is precisely why this detail weighs most heavily. The raw material comes from a mining company or trader, is processed into cell material, that material is processed into cells, the cells are built into a pack, and only then does that pack reach the vehicle. Each link has a piece of the answer, and no one has the complete picture without asking the others.
For whoever compiles the passport, this means above all: start asking the cell manufacturer or the supplier further down the chain in good time, and ask not only for a figure but also for the supporting information. Regulators look at the traceability of the stated values in such declarations, not only at the presence of a document. A declaration without underlying data is in practice harder to justify than a declaration with clear source references.
Who supplies what to whom
As a rule of thumb, the party closest to the raw materials and cell production is usually the most knowledgeable about origin and carbon footprint. Whoever imports the battery or incorporates it into a vehicle is typically dependent on what that party supplies. This is one of the reasons why this part often takes the longest to complete, and why it is advisable to lay this down in the purchasing contract rather than having to request it afterwards. You can read what exactly should be included in such an agreement in the knowledge base with document overviews per battery type.
What you do with these documents
Once the documents have been received, the next step is to link them to one digital carrier: the passport that can be consulted via the QR code. What is exactly needed for this and where the information comes from is explained on the page about how the passport is created. If you are still unsure whether your EV battery, or the battery in another product, falls under this obligation, the free product scan will give you an initial indication in a few questions.
This text is intended to help you get started in gathering the right documents, not as legal advice about your specific situation. For the precise explanation of the obligations that apply to your company, the official text of the regulation is authoritative, and a lawyer or the competent supervisory authority can help you further. Frequently asked questions about documents and origin have also been compiled on the page with frequently asked questions.
Do you want to know where you stand with your own assortment, without having to figure everything out yourself? The free quick scan provides an initial direction, and the knowledge base works out which documents and steps apply to your situation.