London-based supply chain traceability expert Circulor will help Automotive Cells Company (ACC) to prove the provenance and carbon footprint of raw materials ACC uses in its cells.

The partnership announced Wednesday includes supply chain mapping and material traceability, a battery passport creation and embedded carbon emission and due diligence reporting. Circulor will provide these services over an initial three-year period covering materials such as lithium, graphite, cobalt and nickel, Kallanish understands.

ACC battery customers will have access to increased supply chain transparency, providing proof of responsible sourcing and compliance with global regulations. From February 2027, the EU will require EVs sold in the bloc to provide a digital battery passport with information on critical minerals supply chain, emissions and ESG metrics, in addition to technical specifications of the vehicle and the battery. Although passports won’t be required in the US, they could serve as evidence that the EV meets the criteria for the IRA’ Clean Vehicle Tax Credits.

Circulor says its battery passport creation platform, known as PROVE, is already in use in Germany. The company claims to be the technology leader for the German government’s Battery Pass project, demonstrating the upcoming requirements of the EU’s Battery Regulation.

Commenting on the partnership, Olivier Talabard, supply chain director at ACC, says it is key to know its supply chains are operating as they should – “sustainably and responsibly” – and that the company is passing this value on to its customers.

“ACC collaborates with numerous stakeholders to accelerate responsible and sustainable mobility for all. This means more than just building batteries, it means going into the deeper tiers of our supply chains and ensuring sustainability throughout,” he adds.

The manufacturer, a joint venture between Stellantis, Mercedes and TotalEnergies-Saft, inaugurated its first battery gigafactory last year and is about to start mass production. The facility, in Billy-Berclau/Douvrin in France, will be followed by a second gigafactory in Germany and a third in Italy.

“ACC’s work with Circulor sets a high bar for the industry in terms of what supply chain transparency, material traceability, and proof of responsibility should look like,” adds Circulor chief executive Douglas Johnson-Poensgen. “We’re proud of this partnership with ACC and look forward to our collective milestones of progress ahead.”

Andy Leyland, co-founder of SC Insights, notes that confidence in electrification, from a consumer and policymaker perspective, will require unprecedented transparency. “The credibility of electric vehicles is tied to being able to prove, not only that they are better for the environment, but that these supply chains are being rolled out responsibly,” he concludes.

Circulor already works with automakers including Polestar, Volvo, Mercedes, and Jaguar Land Rover, as well as materials suppliers such as Vulcan Energy, Finnish Minerals Group and Posco Chemical.