BMW, Umicore and BASF have struck a deal to work with technology partners to establish a 'battery passport' tracking the carbon content and footprint of electric vehicle (EV) and industrial batteries in Europe.
Funding of €8.2mln (US$8.78mln) has been awarded to the consortium of 11 Germany-based firms to develop a common taxonomy and set of standards for collecting and disclosing data that could soon become compulsory under EU regulations, according to Germany's economy ministry.
Having just opened its Berlin 'gigafactory', the world's biggest EV producer Tesla Inc (NASDAQ:TSLA) is now also based in Germany, as well as Volkswagen Group (XETRA:VOW), which was the second-largest producer of EV by volume last year.
From 2024, plug-in EVs, light transport, and industrial batteries sold in Europe must disclose their carbon footprints and comply with a CO2 emissions limit. The EU proposal will be discussed later this year.
As of 2027, these batteries would be required to disclose their recycled raw material content, followed by a requirement to use a minimum share of recycled cobalt, lithium, nickel, and lead by 2030.
According to the German economy ministry, the consortium is the first to design a digital product that meets these regulations in Europe.