Soon Every EV Battery Sold in Europe Could Have Its Own Passport
The European Union (EU) wants to know the carbon footprint and raw material content of every electric vehicle battery made, and manufacturers think a passport might be the best solution.
As Reuters reports, the EU wants the carbon footprint of rechargeable batteries used in EVs, light transport, and industrial settings disclosed from 2024. From 2027, they will also need to comply with CO2 emissions limits and disclose levels of recycled raw materials used. Then from 2030, minimum levels of recycled cobalt, lithium, nickel, and lead need to be used.
In response, carmakers and battery producers have decided to work together to develop a so-called "battery passport." It would mean every battery produced for sale in EU countries would have its raw material content and carbon footprint detailed at the point of manufacture. The passport would then be accessible for the life of the battery.
So far, 11 companies have signed up to a consortium backing the idea of a passport, they include heavyweights of the manufacturing industry such as BMW, BASF, and Umicore. Nearly $9 million of funding is backing the venuture, with the main aim right now being to develop a set of standards all battery manufacturers can adhere to. And although this will be Europe-specific, any company worldwide wishing to sell batteries within the EU will need to adopt the passport, assuming the EU accepts it as a standard.
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