Full Battery Disclosure

What new red tape have the powers in Brussels come up with now, you might wonder. Actually, as is more often the case than we would like to admit, these bureaucrats have created something quite nifty. Instead of forcing all kinds of standards on the manufacturers of batteries, they turn to a much stronger weapon: transparency. At the start of next year all batteries above 2 kwh, so basically all batteries that are in fully electric or plugin-hybrid vehicles, will need to have a passport. This digitally accessible information source needs to have two main sets of information. On the one hand it has to detail the composition of the battery and the provenance of the materials used. On the other it needs to give a regular update on the SOH of the battery. In other words, make clear how much it has degraded since its start in life.

This will be a major step forward for the second hand market of electrified power trains in Europe. Anyone will just be able to scan a QR code in the vehicle and get at least an inkling of information whether the seller is on the up and up or, as is often the case, full of S***. We will have to see in what detail the regulations will be implemented and just how reliable manufacturers are with their data, but you could argue that you will get more information and certainty when buying an (PH)EV than a combustion car. As it is only applicable on new vehicles sold as of next year, it will take some time for the transparency to work itself into the market. Some manufacturers did not wait for the official deadline though. As I wrote in the past, Volvo for example is way ahead of the pack.