The EU recentlyContents of the temporary proposalThe proposal further requires that portable consumer electronic products such as mobile phones and electric scooters must allow consumers to easily replace batteries.Officially passed, will make it easy to replace batteries in more consumer electronic products, including various handheld devices, as well as light vehicles such as electric scooters and electric bicycles.
Through this temporary proposal, the EU hopes to further ensure the sustainable use of consumer electronics and reduce the waste of components such as batteries.
The new law will apply to all portable batteries, electric vehicle batteries, industrial batteries, and batteries used to start vehicles and mechanical equipment. This means that handheld devices such as mobile phones and game consoles, as well as light vehicles such as electric bicycles and electric scooters, must be easily replaceable by consumers.
However, the EU has not explicitly stipulated that all consumer electronics products must adopt a removable battery design like previous mobile phones. The main purpose is to make it easier to replace batteries in consumer electronics products, avoid the situation where electronic products have to be discarded simply due to battery failure, and allow more consumer electronics products to continue to be used by replacing battery parts.
This regulation will take effect in 2027, giving brands ample time to adjust their product designs to allow consumers to easily remove and replace batteries throughout their product lifecycle. Furthermore, starting in 2026, manufacturers will be required to clearly label battery capacity, operating performance, and other indicators, including battery life and chemical composition. They will also be required to provide a QR code for easier consumer tracking after 2027.
Although this regulation is primarily aimed at the EU market, many brands are expected to manufacture their products to unified specifications for the global market. For example, the new EU regulations require that all handheld devices must switch to USB-C as the unified charging standard starting in 2024. This will not only require Apple to adjust the design of iPhone models sold in the EU market, but also, considering production costs, may also convert iPhone models sold globally to USB-C ports.
