Contemporary Amperex Technology Co., Limited (CATL) and BMW Group have signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) to expand cooperation on battery passport implementation and supply chain decarbonization, marking a significant step in strengthening their long-standing electric mobility partnership.
The agreement was signed on February 25 in Beijing during the visit of German Chancellor Friedrich Merz to China, accompanied by a senior German business delegation. The MOU focuses on pilot projects involving trusted cross-border data exchange under the Battery Passport framework and advancing carbon accounting methodologies across the power battery value chain.
Under the new collaboration, CATL and BMW will explore innovative tools to calculate battery carbon footprints and enhance transparency in battery lifecycle management. The initiative aims to establish secure and standardized mechanisms for sharing battery-related data, ensuring regulatory compliance between China and the European Union.
The pilot projects will leverage the standardized automotive data ecosystem Catena-X to support alignment of technical standards and promote science-based policy frameworks. By fostering harmonized data systems and regulatory coherence, the partnership seeks to contribute to long-term industrial stability and sustainable growth in the EV sector.
The Battery Passport concept, which is gaining traction under evolving EU regulations, is designed to provide detailed information about a battery’s origin, material composition, carbon footprint, and recycling history. Through joint exploration of this framework, CATL and BMW aim to facilitate global adoption of unified battery information and data standards.
CATL and BMW have maintained a strategic partnership since 2012, collaborating on battery production, joint research and development, and sustainable supply chain initiatives. The latest MOU expands their engagement beyond product-level cooperation to broader institutional coordination, reinforcing their shared commitment to accelerating low-carbon electric mobility.
Both companies stated that deeper collaboration on digital management and supply chain transparency will enhance compliance with EU market access requirements while strengthening the green competitiveness of their products.
As global regulatory standards tighten around sustainability and traceability, the CATL-BMW alliance underscores the growing importance of data-driven decarbonization strategies in shaping the future of the electric vehicle industry.
