Battery passport as the first mandatory automotive DPP
For the automotive industry, the Digital Product Passport is already concrete: the EU Battery Regulation (EU) 2023/1542 mandates the battery passport for electric vehicle batteries placed on the EU market or put into service from 18 February 2027. Depending on the data field, this passport includes the carbon footprint, state of health, recycled content and due-diligence evidence for critical raw materials — making it the first binding digital passport in the automotive supply chain.
In parallel, the EU is working on the revision of the End-of-Life Vehicles rules (ELV). The provisional agreement between Council and Parliament would introduce recycled-content targets for vehicle plastics, clearer end-of-life vehicle rules and extended producer responsibility; the exact scope becomes binding only after final adoption and publication. A comprehensive DPP for vehicle components beyond the battery still depends on later sectoral or ESPR product rules. All DPP deadlines at a glance →
ELV revision: recycled content quotas for vehicle plastics
Under the provisional agreement on the End-of-Life Vehicles Regulation, minimum recycled-content targets for plastics in new vehicles would be phased in: 15% after six years and 25% after ten years after the regulation enters into force. At least 20% of that recycled plastic would come from closed-loop recycling from end-of-life vehicles. OEMs and suppliers will need reliable component and supplier data to support this.
For suppliers this means: material declarations at component level become more important for OEM audits, RFQs and later evidence duties. Those who already document recycled content per component today are better prepared for ELV requirements and later vehicle-component data models.
Data foundation for automotive DPP readiness
- Battery passport (from 2027) — Carbon footprint, state of health, recycled content and due-diligence data for critical raw materials under the EU Battery Regulation.
- Recycled plastic content — Share of recycled plastics per vehicle component — data basis for the planned phased ELV recycled-content targets after final adoption.
- CO₂ fleet values — Vehicle-specific CO₂ emissions (g/km WLTP) as an existing EU type-approval dataset and possible reference for later product data models.
- Hazardous substances — SVHC per REACH Article 33, heavy metal content (lead, cadmium, mercury, hexavalent chromium) per ELV Directive.
- Repair and maintainability — Access to repair and maintenance information as an existing automotive compliance topic and possible basis for later product-specific information duties.
Associations and standards
- VDA — German Automotive Association — Battery Passport Ready Initiative, Catena-X data space
- ACEA — European Automobile Manufacturers' Association — positions on ELV revision, batteries and data requirements
- European Commission Batteries — Official overview of the EU Battery Regulation, due diligence, recycled content and battery passport
- EUR-Lex Battery Regulation — Primary source for the EV battery passport from 18 February 2027
- Council of the EU ELV agreement — Official status for ELV recycled-content targets, end-of-life vehicle criteria and traceability
- CLEPA — European Association of Automotive Suppliers — positions on supplier data, components and circularity
- Catena-X — Automotive data space — interoperability pattern for battery passport, material data, PCF and traceability along the supply chain
German production hubs
Germany's automotive sites combine OEMs, suppliers, software teams and battery/component plants. For DPP readiness, the relevant data foundation is battery-passport data, material declarations, PCF data, recycled-content evidence and multi-tier supplier data:
- Stuttgart / Baden-Württemberg — premium OEMs, tier-1 suppliers and component development with high demand for material, battery, PCF and repair data
- Munich / Bavaria — e-mobility, commercial vehicles, software and mobility ecosystems focused on battery passports, Catena-X and supply-chain data
- Wolfsburg — large-scale vehicle production, vehicle software and platform architectures with complex bills of materials, supplier and battery data
- Ingolstadt — premium vehicles, electrification and software integration with product-line-specific battery and material data
- Leipzig — alternative powertrains, assembly and supplier networks with demand for traceable component, recycled-content and PCF data
Frequently asked questions
- When does the DPP apply to electric vehicles?
- The battery passport for EV batteries is mandatory from 18 February 2027 — the first binding DPP-like automotive use case. A comprehensive vehicle DPP beyond the battery depends on later sectoral or ESPR rules.
- What do automotive suppliers specifically need to prepare?
- Suppliers should be able to provide material declarations at component level: recycled-content shares, SVHC declarations, carbon footprint and battery or parts evidence. This requires a structured supplier data foundation — often compatible with Catena-X or similar data-space standards.
- What is Catena-X and how does it relate to the DPP?
- Catena-X is a data ecosystem for automotive data exchange. It provides use cases and data models for Battery Passport, PCF, Material Tracking and Traceability. This can support DPP readiness, but it does not replace legal assessment, data verification or final EU product requirements.
- Does the ELV revision also affect combustion engine vehicles?
- The provisional ELV agreement is not limited to electric vehicles. It affects new vehicles across drivetrains and includes recycled-content targets for plastics, end-of-life vehicle criteria and dismantling obligations; the exact scope becomes binding with the final legal text.