ACC & Circulor partner to map supply chain

The Automotive Cells Company (ACC) of Stellantis, Total and Mercedes-Benz is joining forces with the British company Circulor to track and verify the origin and CO2 emissions of raw materials in its battery cells for electric cars.

Circulor uses blockchain technology to map supply chains for companies. The partnership takes place against the backdrop of the electronic battery passport provided for in the EU Battery Regulation. Circulor is a partner of the battery passport project.

“Our partnership with Circulor is key to knowing our supply chains are operating as they should – sustainably and responsibly – and that we’re passing this value on to our customers,” said ACC supply chain director Olivier Talabard.

Circulor CEO Douglas Johnson-Poensgen added that the company was currently talking to companies up and down the EV battery cell supply chain: “Right now, we’re witness an arms race for enough raw materials and at the moment nobody has to declare where they got stuff or what the carbon footprint is. As soon as we switch this light on with the battery passport regulations, all of a sudden folks will start worrying about sourcing responsibly.”

This is not Circulors first effort in the area, as a similar agreement was signed with StoreDot at the beginning of 2023. Polestar had also endeavoured to track its CO2 footprint as early as mid-2021, although parent company Volvo had invested in Circulor’s blockchain technology in 2020, after using it to help with a cobalt transparency project in 2019.

reuters.com