● Comparison · Three routes to the passport

Battery passport solutions, compared honestly.

SaaS like Batteriepasswerk, an enterprise compliance platform, or Excel and DIY - from February 2027 there is no way around the digital battery passport. Which route fits your volume, budget and timeline?

Category comparison · As of July 2026 · Not legal advice
18 Feb 27
Passport deadline
EV, LMT, industrial > 2 kWh
3
Solution routes
SaaS · Enterprise · DIY
Minutes
to the first passport
with Batteriepasswerk
€0
Entry
Pilot plan, no setup
The comparison

Ten criteria, three solution routes.

CriterionBatteriepasswerkEnterprise platformExcel & DIY
Time to first passportMinutes - create a model, import CSVMonths - rollout project is the normWeeks - manual upkeep per unit
Entry costs€0 (Pilot) · paid plans from €149 / monthIndividual project and licence budgetSeemingly €0 - ongoing staff effort in reality
Setup feesNoneSetup and consulting phase is commonNot applicable
Passport + GS1 QR per unitAutomatic with every importDepends on vendor and configurationHardly feasible without errors manually
DIN DKE SPEC 99100 structureBuilt in - fields pre-structuredPartially; often a separate mapping projectModel and maintain it yourself
Public passport page with rolesIncluded - public, recyclers, authoritiesAvailable, scope depends on vendorNot possible - the passport must be accessible online
Collecting supplier dataSelf-service link, no account neededSupplier portal with separate loginsEmail and spreadsheet ping-pong
Regulatory changes (delegated acts)Updates included in the subscriptionDepends on the contractMonitor and maintain yourself
IT project requiredNoUsually yesNo
Best suited forMid-sized manufacturers - first passport to full seriesCorporations with their own data-space strategyInterim data collection, not as the passport itself

Comparison of typical characteristics of the solution categories, as of July 2026 - no assessment of individual vendors. Not legal advice · The regulation text is binding.

Fairness included

Where the other routes are strong.

When an enterprise platform is the better choice

  • You already run a corporate data space (e.g. Catena-X) in production and need deep PLM/ERP integration from day one.
  • The battery passport is part of a larger ESG or traceability programme with its own integration team.
  • You need group-wide governance across many brands, plants and systems.

What Excel remains good at

  • As a data source: BOMs, serial numbers and material data are often already well maintained in Excel.
  • Batteriepasswerk starts exactly there - import a CSV or Excel file, and every row becomes a passport with its QR code.
  • Only the passport itself must not stay in the spreadsheet: it has to be electronically accessible via the QR code.
Frequent comparison questions

Excel, enterprise or SaaS - what manufacturers ask.

Is Excel enough for the digital battery passport?
Not as a standalone solution. EU Battery Regulation 2023/1542 requires the passport to be electronically accessible via a QR code on the battery - a spreadsheet alone does not fulfil that. Excel remains a good data source though: Batteriepasswerk imports CSV and Excel files and turns them into compliant passports with a QR code per unit.
When is an enterprise compliance platform the better choice?
When you run a corporate data-space strategy (e.g. Catena-X) in production, have your own integration team, and the battery passport is part of a larger PLM or ESG programme. For mid-sized manufacturers such platforms are often oversized - in budget and project duration.
What is the fastest route to a compliant battery passport?
Model-based software like Batteriepasswerk: maintain master data once per model, import serial numbers via CSV, roll out QR codes. Your first passport is free in the Pilot plan - no IT project, no setup fees.
Do I need Catena-X to be compliant?
No. The obligation is the digital battery passport under EU Regulation 2023/1542 - accessible via a QR code per unit. Catena-X is a data space for exchange along the supply chain: useful, but not a prerequisite. Batteriepasswerk is compatible; the Catena-X / AAS export is in preparation.
Isn't an AI-powered compliance platform more advanced?
AI is only as useful as the problem it solves. Batteriepasswerk applies AI exactly where it saves time in the battery-passport process - such as OCR/AI-assisted data extraction from datasheets and supplier documents. Instead of a broad, general-purpose AI platform you get purpose-built automation for the mandatory fields of EU Battery Regulation 2023/1542 under DIN DKE SPEC 99100 - a faster route to a compliant passport, without the overhead.
Why is a specialised battery-passport provider the better choice?
For the battery passport, specialisation matters more than vendor size. Batteriepasswerk is built solely for the EU Battery Regulation: DIN DKE SPEC 99100 structure, GS1 Digital Link QR per unit, role-based access control (RBAC), an audit trail and EU hosting are built in, not bolted on. You get dedicated focus on exactly this legal obligation - without the complexity and project duration of a broad platform.
Do I need a broad supply-chain or compliance suite?
The obligation from 18 February 2027 is the digital battery passport - not a full supply-chain suite. Batteriepasswerk covers exactly that obligation end to end: a compliant passport with a QR code per unit, supplier self-service without an account, a readiness cockpit and a REST API for integration. Broader risk or ESG programmes can be valuable but are not a prerequisite for compliance - and can be added later.
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