Batteries are an essential component of electric industrial vehicles and greatly affect performance, operator experience and usability in various environments. All batteries are not created equal; from chemistry, available energy, charging power and speed, battery management system, maintenance requirements, lifespan, and of course price. Even though they are different, all batteries go on a journey along the value chain that begins with raw materials extraction, cell manufacturing, industrial application, and may continue to a second life (as stationary energy storage for example) or recycling and disposal. That journey is still new and some unknowns remain, but there is a great deal of action already taking place.
By 2040, there will be at least 400 million electric vehicles on the road. It is driving nations to enact laws requiring manufacturers to include recycled material in the goods they produce. The European Union already has circular standards set for lithium-ion batteries and other high-impact items as well as consumer goods. These regulations state that products sold in the EU must be recyclable, can be revalorized, and include recycled material. Similar laws will undoubtedly be passed in North America sooner rather than later.
But how can battery manufacturers be trusted in the demonstration of compliance? This is where the Battery Passport comes into play. The Battery Passport will be yet another way to maximize the use of lithium-ion batteries for cars and industrial vehicles, such as forklift.
A digitized representation of an electric vehicle battery offers thorough details about the battery's entire history, from mine to vehicle and beyond. This implies that stakeholders and auditors can get up-to-the-minute information and complete traceability on how the battery was built, where the metals and other materials originated from, performance levels, maintenance work, and more, at any point along the value chain. With the help of the Battery Passport, businesses will be able to achieve their ESG objectives with better battery management.
While tracing the history of a lithium-ion battery with the Battery Passport will be relatively straightforward during its initial lifespan (from mining to cell and packing to its industrial application in powering forklifts), lithium-ion battery manufacturers are working with recycling authorities, and the creators of traceability platforms to capture crucial data regarding revalorization and recycling. Batteries as the foundation of a fully circular economy is a fascinating new topic.
Download Video
Download Presentation
