LMT batteries (e-bikes and similar): do you need a battery passport?
The short answer
Batteries of light means of transport such as e-bikes and e-scooters (LMT batteries) need a battery passport to be placed on the EU market from 18 February 2027, whatever their capacity, and a QR code. An LMT battery is sealed, weighs 25 kg or less and is designed to provide traction power for such vehicles.
Three steps to decide
Is it an LMT battery?
It is sealed, weighs 25 kg or less and provides traction power for wheeled vehicles driven by a motor, or by motor and human power together (e-bikes, e-scooters and similar, including type-approved L-category vehicles), and it is not an electric vehicle battery.
Does it weigh more than 25 kg?
A traction battery of an L-category vehicle above 25 kg is an electric vehicle battery and needs a passport as well. Exactly 25 kg is still an LMT battery.
What to do
LMT batteries have no capacity threshold; all need a passport: gather the data, publish the passport, print the QR code.
Common products
| Product (example) | Category | Passport needed? |
|---|---|---|
| E-bike battery, 0.5 kWh, 3 kg | LMT battery | Yes No capacity threshold |
| E-scooter battery, 0.3 kWh | LMT battery | Yes No capacity threshold |
| Electric motorcycle (L category) traction battery, 3 kWh, 20 kg | LMT battery | Yes 25 kg or less |
| Electric motorcycle (L category) traction battery, 6 kWh, 30 kg | Electric vehicle battery | Yes L category, above 25 kg |
| Traction battery of a child’s toy vehicle | Portable battery | No passport Toy vehicles’ batteries are treated as portable; QR code needed |
The table gives examples and the numbers are for illustration. Ask us where your product falls; what we say is for reference and not legal advice.
What the regulation says
What an LMT battery is
“a battery that is sealed, weighs 25 kg or less and is specifically designed to provide electric power for the traction of wheeled vehicles that can be powered by an electric motor alone or by a combination of motor and human power”
Traction batteries of L-category vehicles above 25 kg are EV batteries
“a battery that is specifically designed to provide electric power for traction in hybrid or electric vehicles of category L as provided for in Regulation (EU) No 168/2013, that weighs more than 25 kg”
LMT batteries need a battery passport
“From 18 February 2027 each LMT battery, each industrial battery with a capacity greater than 2 kWh and each electric vehicle battery placed on the market or put into service shall have an electronic record (‘battery passport’).”
Quotes are from the English text of Regulation (EU) 2023/1542; the text published in the Official Journal prevails.
Which data you fill in
Of the 92 data points in the field list, 88 apply to LMT batteries.
- 59Required from 18 Feb 2027
- 5Conditional
- 14Not yet required
- 10Optional
Source: PassBridge field list, compiled from Annex XIII and the BatteryPass data attribute longlist v2.0. Carbon footprint, due diligence and a few more fill in only once the rules apply; the platform marks them “not required in February 2027”.
Common mistakes
“It’s a small battery, so no passport.”
In fact: LMT batteries have no capacity threshold; even a small e-bike battery needs a passport (Art. 77(1)).
“An L-category battery that is a bit heavy needs no passport.”
In fact: Above 25 kg it is an electric vehicle battery and needs a passport as well.
“A toy vehicle’s battery is an LMT battery.”
In fact: The regulation treats the traction battery of a toy vehicle as a portable battery: no passport, but a QR code from 18 Feb 2027 (recital 15).
Still not sure? Ask us.
Tell us about your product and we say which category it falls in, whether it needs a passport and by when.
More battery types
- LMT batteries (e-bikes and similar)
- Industrial and home storage
- EV batteries
- No passport needed
Deadline: 18 February 2027 · Passport and QR code are required from the same day.
