A printed label is a static surface: it shows what fits on the product and never changes after printing. The battery passport is the opposite — a structured digital record that different audiences read at different access levels, updated over the life of the battery and reachable through a data carrier such as a QR code. The label does not disappear, but it stops being the place where compliance data lives.
Static print versus a live record
Regulation (EU) 2023/1542 requires a passport per individual battery with item-level data — state of health, status and life-cycle events — that cannot exist on ink. The physical product keeps only minimal markings (such as the data carrier and the unique identifier), while the regulated content sits behind the passport URL with the Annex XIII access tiers enforced server-side.
| Aspect | Printed label | Battery passport |
|---|---|---|
| Medium | Ink on the product | Digital record at an immutable URL |
| Updatable after sale | No | Yes, for item-dynamic data |
| Access tiers | Everything visible at once | Annex XIII tiers enforced server-side |
| Capacity | Limited by print area | Full Annex XIII data set |
| Per individual battery | Hard to maintain | Native (Art. 77(1)) |
| 10-year retention | Degrades, can be lost | Provided as a durable service |
- Keep the minimal physical markings and the QR-linked data carrier on the product.
- Move the full Annex XIII content into the digital passport, gated by access tier.
- Maintain item-dynamic data after sale — something a printed label cannot do.
- Ensure the passport URL stays reachable for the full retention period.
Frequently asked
Does a printed label still count as a battery passport?
No. A printed label cannot carry the full Annex XIII data set, cannot enforce access tiers and cannot be updated over the life of the battery. The regulation requires a digital passport per individual battery, reachable through a data carrier such as a QR code.
Do I still need any printing on the battery?
Yes. The physical product keeps minimal markings, including the data carrier and the unique identifier, which resolve to the digital passport where the regulated content lives.