Trust by click: TÜV SÜD introduces a certification mark for the Digital Battery Passport

Increased transparency, safety and compliance for batteries on the EU market

Pictogram in .SVG for traction battery approval

October 8, 2026

The Digital Battery Passport (DBP) is making the vision of a transparent, sustainable and safe product life cycle in Europe a binding reality for the first time. TÜV SÜD is responding to the increasing requirements of the EU Battery Regulation by introducing its own certification mark for the DBP. The aim is to provide manufacturers, market participants and authorities with reliable guidance in a complex regulatory environment, while also making trust in digital product data measurable.

The Digital Battery Passport is the first mandatory implementation of the overarching Digital Product Passport (DPP) concept, which was established under the EU Ecodesign for Sustainable Products Regulation (ESPR). While the DPP provides a generic framework for product-related digital life-cycle data, the EU Battery Regulation (EU) 2023/1542 sets out specific and legally binding requirements for a particular product group for the first time.

Since 18 August 2023, the Regulation has been directly applicable in all EU Member States, replacing the previous Battery Directive. It covers the entire life cycle of batteries – from manufacture through to use and recycling, obliging all economic operators involved to comply with comprehensive sustainability, safety, and transparency requirements.

The Battery Passport: More than just data

The Digital Battery Passport is a structured, digital dataset that provides comprehensive information on batteries. This includes, amongst other things:

Origin, material composition and carbon footprint
Performance and durability data, as well as expected service life
Information on recyclability and the circular economy
Safety and conformity certificates (including CE marking)

Not all data is mandatory from the outset. Some data points still depend on pending delegated and implementing acts, and will be introduced gradually in the future¹. Data is categorised according to access rights – ranging from publicly accessible information to sensitive data for public authorities and Notified Bodies. The Passport comprises both static and dynamic data, which must be kept up to date throughout the entire life cycle.

Complexity creates a need for independent verification

As regulatory requirements become increasingly digitised, so too does the complexity. Differing legal acts, high standards for data quality, IT security and interoperability, and the need for continuous updating, present companies with considerable challenges.

A key problem here is the so-called “assurance gap”: Software providers cannot independently demonstrate the conformity of their solutions, while manufacturers bear full legal responsibility for placing products on the market. Without a neutral, verifiable body, the market lacks confidence, which leads to delays in implementation.

TÜV SÜD focuses on verified trustworthiness

With the new certification mark for the Digital Battery Passport, TÜV SÜD addresses this very issue. The certification mark is based on an assessment of relevant regulatory and technical requirements. The scope of the assessment comprises:

The relevant requirements of the EU Battery Regulation (EU) 2023/1542 concerning the Digital Battery Passport, including applicable supplementary legal acts and official implementation guidelines.
Selected technical requirements of the Digital Product Passport framework, as set put in the EU Ecodesign Regulation (EU) 2024/1781 (ESPR), insofar as they apply to the technical implementation of the Digital Battery Passport.
Requirements relating to cybersecurity, data integrity and trustworthiness.
Interoperability requirements based on the relevant harmonised DPP standards.

The assessment takes into account the regulatory framework of the Digital Battery Passport and the essential requirements for securely and interoperably providing and processing digital product data. “The Battery Passport is far more than just an IT solution – it is a safety-critical, regulated system. With our certification approach, we are establishing the necessary basis of trust for the market,” explains Christian Theeck, Business Line Manager Energy at TÜV SÜD.

Key technology for the circular economy

The Digital Battery Passport is regarded as a trailblazer for a functioning circular economy in the battery sector. It creates transparency throughout the entire value chain, supports compliance with sustainability targets and enables new, data-driven business models. However, this is just the beginning: further product groups will follow as part of the Digital Product Passport. The DBP is therefore becoming a key instrument of European industrial policy.

From a compliance requirement to a competitive advantage

With the DBP, regulatory compliance is becoming a strategic success factor. Companies that adopt verified and certified solutions early on will secure market access and the trust of customers, partners, and authorities. TÜV SÜD is establishing itself as a reliable partner for independent testing and certification, providing measurable and trustworthy digital product transparency for the first time.