Create a battery passport: guide & software.
From 18 February 2027, every EV, LMT and industrial battery above 2 kWh needs a digital battery passport. This guide shows clearly how manufacturers create and generate a battery passport - from the model through supplier data and certificates to serialisation and the QR code - and what matters when choosing battery passport software.
- You don't create a battery passport one by one - you serialise it. Thousands of passports are generated automatically from a single model template - one per unit, each with a unique QR code.
- Five steps: create the model, invite suppliers, link certificates, serialise the units and ship the GS1 Digital Link QR.
- Excel + a QR generator are not enough. The regulation requires unique identifiers, three access levels and a permanently resolvable link - only a dedicated battery passport solution delivers that.
- Four things matter in a software comparison: compliance (2023/1542 + DIN DKE SPEC 99100), mass serialisation, a GS1 QR per unit and EU hosting with role-based access.
Five steps to a finished battery passport
The battery passport applies per battery, not per model. The real work is therefore twofold: collecting the model data - including from suppliers and certificates - and then replicating the passport per unit automatically. With battery passport software it works like this:
Capture all model-wide mandatory fields from Annex XIII once - chemistry, carbon footprint, recycled content, due diligence and dismantling information. Structured to DIN DKE SPEC 99100.
Collect missing figures straight from your suppliers via a link: the supplier enters their values in a passwordless self-service form - with no account of their own. Reminders run automatically.
Upload REACH, carbon/LCA and due-diligence evidence as PDFs, link them to the model and review them. Expiry dates are monitored and every change lands in the audit trail.
Import serial numbers via CSV or API. For every produced unit a passport with a unique identifier is created and linked to the model - thousands at once, automated instead of by hand.
Output one GS1 Digital Link QR per unit, print- and engraving-ready. Plus the public passport page with role-based access for the public, recyclers and authorities.
Whether your battery even needs a passport is answered by the eligibility check in 90 seconds. Which fields belong in the passport is covered in the guide on battery passport data.
Build it yourself or use battery passport software?
From the outside a battery passport looks like a web page behind a QR code - but the compliance sits underneath. This comparison shows why manufacturers rely on a dedicated solution in practice:
| Criterion | Excel + QR generator | Battery passport software |
|---|---|---|
| Compliance | Static QR link, no regulated data structure | EU 2023/1542 + DIN DKE SPEC 99100, GS1 Digital Link |
| Serialisation | Every unit maintained one by one in Excel | Thousands of passports automatically from one model template |
| Access levels | One public page for everyone | Public · legitimate interest · market surveillance separated |
| Data provenance | Certificates typed in manually | Supplier self-service via link, audit trail |
| Hosting & persistence | Link can break at any time | EU hosting, permanently resolvable across the lifecycle |
A detailed side-by-side comparison of the approaches is on the comparison page.
Creating the QR code for the battery passport
The QR code is not "made" one by one - it is produced automatically during serialisation. What matters is that it meets the requirements of the regulation:
The GS1 Digital Link encodes the product and serial number directly in the URL - one identifier per unit, per ISO/IEC 15459 (Art. 77(3)).
The target URL must point to the passport data reliably for years - a static link from a QR generator does not meet that.
Printed or engraved, with strong contrast (Annex VI Part C) - it must stay scannable for the whole life of the battery.
Go deeper
All the rules on deadlines, design and scan targets are explained in the detailed guide QR codes on batteries from 2027.
Common questions about creating the battery passport
How do I create a digital battery passport?
Can I create a battery passport myself with Excel or a QR generator?
How much does it cost to create a battery passport?
How do I create the QR code for the battery passport?
How do I get missing data from my suppliers into the battery passport?
Do I need a separate passport for every battery?
Sources & further reading
From the model to thousands of battery passports with GS1 Digital Link QR - automatically.
Batteriepasswerk is the battery passport software for manufacturers: create the model, collect supplier data and certificates, serialise, ship the QR codes - compliant with EU 2023/1542 and DIN DKE SPEC 99100, hosted in the EU.