The invention relates to a method for data transfer between electronic control devices, a battery and a motor vehicle with such a battery, which are particularly suitable for reducing the communications load on the communications bus between a main control device and one or more subordinate control devices, particularly between control devices of a battery management system. For this purpose, a method for data transfer between electronic control devices is provided wherein the control devices comprise at least one main control device (102) and at least one subordinate control device (104-1, 104-2,..., 104-n). Measurement values (312, 316, 320, 328, 332) are detected by the at least one subordinate control device (104-1, 104-2,..., 104-n). Derived data is formed by the at least one subordinate control device (104-1, 104-2,..., 104-n) from at least one part of the detected measurement values (312, 316, 320, 328, 332), and the derived data is transferred to at least one main control device (102).