Electrification is expanding beyond passenger cars and light commercial vehicles into the heavy-duty transport sector. While electric trucks still represent a relatively small share of the European market, adoption is accelerating.

Ford Trucks is advancing its electric mobility portfolio with the F-LINE E, its fully electric heavy commercial vehicle developed and manufactured by Ford Otosan. Presented as a key part of the Ford Trucks product portfolio at IAA Transportation 2026, the F-LINE E offers up to 392 kWh of battery capacity and a range of up to 300 kilometres, supporting regional distribution and urban operations.

As electric heavy commercial vehicles enter the market, manufacturers must also prepare for new regulatory and data-management requirements. From 18 February 2027, Regulation (EU) 2023/1542 will require each electric vehicle battery, each light means of transport battery and each industrial battery with a capacity greater than 2 kWh that is placed on the EU market or put into service to have a Battery Passport.

The responsibility for creating and maintaining the Battery Passport lies with the economic operator placing the finished battery on the EU market. The passport will be linked to the battery through a QR code and will provide structured access to information concerning battery identification, technical characteristics, performance, durability, sustainability, circularity, repair, reuse and recycling. Access rights will vary depending on the type of information and the stakeholder requesting access.

To prepare for these requirements, Ford Otosan is working with Circulor to establish the supply chain data foundation required for compliant and reliable Battery Passports for Ford Trucks' electric vehicle batteries.

The project begins with a structured mapping of the battery supply chain using supplier-declared data. This initial phase enables Ford Otosan to establish visibility across its supplier network and to create a traceable baseline covering the origin, processing and chain of custody of materials used throughout the battery value chain.

Due diligence requirements cannot be addressed through a single uniform approach. Different materials, suppliers and production locations may carry different levels of environmental, regulatory and supply chain risk. Supplier-declared information therefore provides the initial foundation, while higher-risk materials and supply chain connections may require additional documentation, evidence and independent assurance.

Using Circulor's platform, Ford Otosan can request, collect and maintain supporting evidence for relevant supply chain declarations. Circulor's tiered Trust and Assurance approach allows the level of verification to be adjusted according to the risk associated with individual materials, facilities and supply chain relationships. This helps Ford Otosan strengthen assurance progressively without having to redesign or restart the programme when supply chain risks or regulatory expectations change.

This supply chain data forms part of the foundation required for an accurate and compliant Battery Passport. The passport is designed as a dynamic digital record linked to the physical battery, allowing relevant information to remain accessible and updated throughout the battery's lifecycle. The EU framework also establishes differentiated access rights so that public, restricted and commercially sensitive information can be managed appropriately.

At the scale of a heavy commercial vehicle programme, this requires the coordination of data across multiple battery configurations, vehicle models, suppliers and lifecycle participants. The collaboration between Ford Otosan and Circulor is intended to create the digital and organisational foundation needed to manage this complexity.

The project demonstrates how regulatory readiness, supply chain transparency and digital product information are becoming integral parts of the transition to electric heavy-duty transport. Passenger vehicles and heavy commercial vehicles have different duty cycles, battery configurations and supply chains, but they share a growing requirement for reliable and accessible information about the origin, composition, performance and lifecycle of their batteries.

Through this collaboration, Ford Otosan and Circulor are taking a practical step towards Battery Passport readiness and greater transparency across the electric heavy commercial vehicle value chain.

About Circulor

Circulor provides supply chain traceability, Trust and Assurance, and Digital Product Passport solutions for complex industrial value chains. Its platform supports manufacturers in tracing materials from origin through processing and production, managing supporting evidence and creating Digital Product Passports linked to reliable supply chain data.

Circulor’s platform supports more than 1.4 million vehicles with traceability, over 1.5 billion traceability records and more than 675,000 Digital Product Passports. Its network covers 175 facilities across 44 countries and includes traceability for 15 critical and rare-earth materials.

For more information, visit www.circulor.com.

About Ford Trucks

Ford Trucks is Ford’s only heavy commercial brand, producing a range of vehicles including tractors, construction trucks, and road trucks weighing over 16 tons. The F-MAX and F-LINE series are seen as trusted business partners of customers all over the world. Ford commercial vehicles’ proven track record of quality, durability, and efficiency underpins Ford Trucks’ international product strategy, delivering the best total cost of ownership promise. Combining expertise in market-specific product development with over sixty years of design and manufacturing experience, Ford Trucks design key components for its vehicles. Operating across Europe, the Middle East, Africa, and Eurasia, Ford Trucks continues to grow its international network on three continents. Hundreds of thousands of trucks around the world set out each day with the confidence that Ford provides. For more information about Ford Trucks and its products worldwide, visit www.fordtrucksglobal.com