DIN SAE SPEC – The Standard for the Digital Twin of Electric Vehicle Batteries, with AWS, DIN, and MHP

The Challenge: When Data Doesn’t Speak the Same Language

Until now, the automotive industry has lacked a unified standard for describing electric vehicle batteries. Terminology, data formats, and classifications varied among companies. This resulted in a highly fragmented data landscape, making collaboration between OEMs, suppliers, and service providers significantly more difficult. Information was difficult to compare, its quality was often unclear, and coordination processes consumed valuable resources.

At the same time, regulatory pressure was increasing. The EU Battery Passport mandates transparency across the entire battery lifecycle. Without a standardized digital representation, these requirements cannot be met.

Furthermore, the digital twin of vehicle batteries had previously only existed in prototype use cases, such as pilot projects from individual OEMs. There was no binding foundation for an industrial scale. This is where the development of the DIN SAE SPEC began, with the aim of establishing a reliable foundation for transparency, interoperability, and international comparability.

Objective: A Shared Framework for the Digital Twin

The project's core mission was to develop a DIN SAE specification that would serve as the standard for digital twins of electric vehicle batteries. The goal was to create a common language that could be used consistently by OEMs, suppliers, service providers, and authorities.

Key objectives included:

• Uniform classification and terminology: Defining attributes and categories to enable transparent comparability.
• Interoperable data flows: Ensuring that information can be used seamlessly across company and country borders.
• Regulatory compliance: Providing a clear data foundation to support the implementation of the EU Battery Passport and other regulations.
• Promoting sustainability and the circular economy: Laying the groundwork for recycling and second-life scenarios through full transparency across the battery lifecycle.

The result is an industry-wide compatible standard that accelerates innovation, supports regulatory requirements, and simplifies collaboration across the entire value chain.

From Concept to SPEC: The Solution in Detail

The development of DIN SAE SPEC 91487:2025-08 was the result of close collaboration between MHP, AWS, DIN, and SAE. They combined their industry knowledge, technological expertise, and standardization know-how to create a globally compatible standard for the digital twin of electric vehicle batteries.

One consortium, many areas of expertise

• MHP took on the role of initiator and led the development of the content. Drawing on its extensive knowledge of the automotive industry, digitalization, and cloud technologies, MHP established the methodological and technical framework.
• DIN acted as moderator and coordinator of the standardization process.
• SAE, an American standards organization, added the international dimension to the project, ensuring the SPEC is valid for both Europe and the United States.
• AWS contributed its cloud expertise and ambition to enable digital services based on the new standard.

Developed together, designed with agility

The project followed a clearly structured process:

• Workshops and co-creation sessions with experts from various disciplines.
• Agile iterations, during which the glossary, attribute catalogue, and categorization framework were developed.
• Consensus building within the consortium to ensure practical applicability.

The result: a standard with global impact

The outcome was the official publication of DIN SAE SPEC 91487:2025-08, 'Digital Twin of Electric Vehicle Batteries'. Published in English and jointly issued by DIN and SAE International, this is the first standard that can be used across continents.

Results That Set New Standards

The DIN SAE SPEC 91487:2025-08 standard has a measurable impact that goes beyond its own scope:

Unified language, fewer alignments

A clearly defined attribute and category framework simplifies collaboration across the entire value chain. Coordination efforts are reduced, data quality improves, and comparability across the industry becomes possible for the first time.

Transparency for sustainability and second life

The standardized data foundation enables the evaluation of batteries throughout their entire lifecycle, from production to recycling. In particular, for second-life scenarios, the digital twin enables batteries to be repurposed for stationary use, making the use of resources more efficient.

Accelerated digital transformation

Interoperable data flows provide the basis for new services and applications. OEMs and suppliers can implement innovations faster and meet regulatory requirements more easily.

International relevance

Published as a DIN SAE specification, the standard is recognized in both the European and US markets, creating a bridge between the world’s key automotive regions.

Outlook: From SPEC to Global Standard

The publication of DIN SAE SPEC 91487:2025-08 is not the end of the process, but the beginning of ongoing development. Discussions are already underway to transform the standard into an ISO standard, which would give it legal force in Asia, particularly China.

This would turn a transatlantic industry standard into a globally recognized reference framework. The experiences from this project demonstrate how complex ecosystems can be structured through collaboration, a model that can also be applied to other product components and industries.

In this way, DIN SAE SPEC serves as a role model. It shows that digital twins are a strategic foundation for sustainability, efficiency, and innovation, not just a technical concept.