
South Korea's Kia Motors is testing a battery-level "battery passport" system, taking a step toward the mass adoption of electric vehicles. This battery management approach is expected to pave the way for longer-lasting batteries.
Tesla, Volvo, and Audi have previously explored the concept of a battery passport. For example, Volvo plans to use blockchain technology from the British startup Circulor to track the composition of its batteries, the origin of its raw materials, and its carbon footprint. But Kia is going further.
Kia's testing covers individual battery cells, not just the entire battery pack. The company is using a modified EV3 electric vehicle equipped with a monitoring system from the British company Dukosi.
Each battery cell transmits data to a "digital passport," which the driver can access in real time through the vehicle's multimedia system. After repairs, this information is automatically updated.
This technology can detect problems early, requiring the replacement of individual cells rather than the entire battery pack, significantly reducing maintenance costs. Kia plans to implement the battery passport system in Europe by February 2027.