Product Traceability for Automotive

Automakers face challenging traceability requirements, with European product passport regulations applying to batteries from early 2027. The right solution will not only facilitate compliance but also open up new opportunities.

Europe’s Ecodesign for Sustainable Products Regulation heralds a new generation of regulatory measures aiming to improve products’ circularity, energy performance, and environmental sustainability. The Regulation lays the groundwork for the introduction of product passports, starting with battery passports – which look set to be a major enabler of automotive sustainability.

So automotive companies face the task of implementing battery passports within a limited timeframe. But as of now, that’s challenging for most automotive companies, mainly because of data issues. For example, in many cases:

• Data requirements have not been adequately specified
• Necessary data is inaccessible – if it even exists
• Data is not updated during the product lifecycle

In addition, there may be challenges around data flows – for example, in relation to safeguarding sensitive information when sharing is required.

Challenges like these threaten companies’ ability to achieve compliance with the new Regulation. In addition, they could be missing out on valuable opportunities to improve the way they work with batteries. Given the central role of battery electric vehicles in future mobility, no automotive manufacturer can afford to do that.

“In addition to supporting automotive sustainability, implementation of battery passports offers important side benefits for companies. For example, battery management system data can improve product liability, safety, and customer experience, while enabling circularity. To realize that value, we must ensure a seamless flow of data throughout the product’s lifetime.”

Emmanuelle Bischoffe Cluzel, VP & Sustainability Lead, Global Automotive Industry, Capgemini

Optimizing data use to provide traceability – and much more

Capgemini’s Product Traceability for Automotive solution empowers clients to meet traceability requirements with ease, and to reap additional benefits at the same time. You’ll achieve the following essential goals fast and with minimal risk, thanks to our accelerators, assets, and IP.

1. Establish traceability, exceeding the minimum passport requirements to create efficiency and reduce costs. This requires identification of necessary data, mapping of internal and external data sources, harmonization of data in a central hub, and establishment of quality and audit controls.
2. Ensure transparency, with data flowing seamlessly throughout the product’s lifetime to enable value. Tasks here include creation of a secure and continuous flow of data from sensors, establishment of data persistence, definition of usage and access policies, and implementation of a product passport interface and interoperability gateway.
3. Maximize opportunity, leveraging the product passport and associated data to optimize costs, improve products, and enable new models. Areas of opportunity include vehicle and battery recycling, cost and sustainability improvements through the use of digital twins, better predictive maintenance, and the adoption of new business models such as battery as a service and battery swapping.

With this solution, you’ll always have accurate data about products and their components at your disposal. You can make data available to whoever needs it (including your ecosystem members) while maintaining the highest levels of security. And you’ll be confident that the data is bang up to date, with digital continuity across all your systems.

The Capgemini advantage

Our depth of experience collaborating with automotive clients, as well as our unrivaled technical expertise, makes us your ideal partner for battery passport and other traceability projects.

Our capabilities in this area are already proven. For example, we’ve designed and implemented a battery state of health certificate system for a leading OEM. Our numerous projects in related areas have covered everything from data exchange development to frame security strategy.

Capgemini’s Product Traceability for Automotive solution harnesses these capabilities, together with our command of leading-edge technologies such as AI and blockchain. The result is a comprehensive solution for battery passports, as well as wider traceability requirements.

Today, battery passports aren’t just a regulatory necessity. They could pave the way for better product performance and customer experience, along with reduced costs and, of course, improved automotive sustainability. Get in touch today to find out how Capgemini can help you get the best out of battery passport implementation.