Several digital product passport approaches are expected to be relevant for the automotive industry. The nearest and most prominent example is the Battery Passport, based on the renewed EU Battery Regulation. It affects all electric vehicles with a high-voltage battery of 2 kWh capacity, sold in the European Union from 2027 onwards. 
With a similar timeframe, the Environmental Vehicle Passport is expected, which as measure of the new EU Regulation on Type-Approval of Motor Vehicles (known as Euro 7), will redefine the scope of emission and approval data that carmakers must provide to customers.

Even more important is the Circularity Vehicle Passport, expected for 2032.

The Circular Vehicle Passport represents a groundbreaking approach to sustainability, revolutionizing the way we perceive and manage the lifecycle of vehicles. As the automotive industry embraces circular economy principles, the Circularity Vehicle Passport emerges as a pivotal document, enabling the efficient reuse, recycling, and repurposing of vehicles, thereby reducing waste, and minimizing environmental impact. (5)

The proposal by the European Union regarding the regulation on management of end-of-life vehicles, which is currently under evaluation, aims on driving circularity within the automotive industry. It focuses on six key action fields (4):

To enforce the regulation and to reach the targets, a Circularity Vehicle Passport is stated as the digital enabler. It serves as a comprehensive, digital record that provides detailed information about a product's design, manufacturing, materials, and environmental impact, facilitating transparency, traceability, and sustainable practices throughout its lifecycle. Following more prominent solutions such as the Battery Passport or the Circularity Vehicle Passport may include:

• Material data, such as the composition of the vehicle, the weight of the materials used and their origin. 
• Dismantling information, such as disassembly instructions, and recycling recommendations. (3)

The current regulation is still in its infancy and has not passed the proposal stage yet. Until now, there has been no official timeline set for the implementation of the regulation, neither have detailed information on the contents of the Circularity Vehicle Passport been defined. However, at Siemens Advanta Consulting, we believe that this or similar regulations will certainly become reality in the near future, following the landmarks of the European Green Deal. For the Circularity Vehicle Pass, we expect the corresponding regulation to enter into force in the beginning of the next decade. Therefore, we recommend automotive OEMs to engage in thought leadership and drive the development of an infrastructure which can enable digital product passports. Pioneers will further have the chance to push own standards in the market and actively collaborate on the development of industry standards. We also believe that those who go ahead now, can leverage considerable synergies from existing or planned digital product passports, such as the Battery Passport. Ultimately, just like the latter mentioned, the Circularity Vehicle Passport may also enable internal use cases for manufacturers to save costs, improve quality, or facilitate new business models and customer features.

With deep expertise in supporting external clients in the setup of already existing product passports, Siemens Advanta Consulting is your expert in the fast paced and constantly changing world of digital product passports. We are happy to guide you on your way towards a more sustainable future by using such digital tools, from the initial exploration of a fitting solution for you until the integration of the solution. We look forward to helping you close the loop and stepping into a bright circular future.