Glossary
Glossary term

rated capacity

Declared battery capacity in ampere-hours under reference conditions.

1 official source1 context sourceSingle-source term

What does rated capacity mean?

Rated capacity matters because it is one of the core technical attributes used to describe and compare batteries, and it can influence passport content, product documentation, and category-specific interpretation.

Source context

Use rated capacity as specification or declaration data. Keep it separate from changing lifecycle metrics such as state of charge, state of health, remaining useful capacity, or field-measured performance unless the page explicitly compares those concepts.

Official definitions by source

EU Battery Regulation

Regulation (EU) 2023/1542 concerning batteries and waste batteries

the total number of ampere-hours (Ah) that can be withdrawn from a fully charged battery under reference conditions

Reference: Annex IV, point 1

View official source

Standards and implementation context

These entries are non-verbatim context summaries. They are not presented as public legal definitions.

DIN DKE SPEC 99100

DIN DKE SPEC 99100:2025-02 — Requirements for data attributes of the battery passport

DIN DKE SPEC 99100 uses rated capacity as implementation context for battery-passport technical data attributes.

Non-verbatim implementation-context summary only; not a verbatim DIN definition. DIN DKE SPEC 99100 is a copyrighted standard, so this page gives context rather than republishing the standard text.

Reference: Section 3.40

Practical application

Implementation records should store the capacity value, unit field, ampere-hour basis, reference condition, test method, declaration source, model or batch scope, and update logic where later lifecycle measurements differ from the initial declared performance.

Minespider commentary

Rated capacity is often confused with live battery condition. It is a declared technical attribute and this declared-capacity control helps passport users distinguish design/specification data from operating condition; state of charge and state of health describe changing condition, degradation, warranty, and reuse-assessment data.

Common confusions

  • Confusing rated capacity with state of charge.
  • Confusing rated capacity with state of health or remaining useful capacity.
  • Recording a capacity value without units, reference conditions, declaration source, or model/batch scope.