Planning EU eCall certification for your on-board product at the end of 2025 hinges on understanding one core change: the process and timeline are being reshaped by a latest regulation—(EU) 2025/1871. It sets clear technical upgrade and phase-out timelines, and your certification steps must be adjusted accordingly.
The EU amendment (EU) 2025/1871, issued on October 28, 2025, has introduced mandatory timelines into the certification process. Ignoring them will directly lead to certification failure or certificate invalidation.
·January 1, 2026: The "starting point" for applications. From this date onward, the EU will no longer accept new vehicle type approval applications that only support legacy 2G/3G networks (CS eCall). All new applications must support 4G/5G-based NG eCall.
·January 1, 2027: The "end point" for legacy systems and the "starting point" for new standards. On this day, all legacy CS eCall certificates will fully expire. Simultaneously, all newly issued NG eCall certificates must fully comply with the latest standards EN 17184:2024 and EN 17240:2024.
·January 1, 2028: The complete end of the transitional period. By this date, even NG eCall certificates that only comply with the early technical specification (CEN/TS 17240:2018) will be invalidated. Products must meet all the latest EN standards in effect at that time.
eCall Compliance Certification Steps and New Requirements
Within the constraints of the above timeline, your certification process must strictly follow the steps below, with special attention to the newly added test items:
Phase 1: Preparation and Planning (Approximately 1–2 weeks)
The core of this phase is "making the right choices and preparing comprehensive materials". You must select a Notified Body recognized by an EU member state. For non-EU enterprises, appointing an EU Authorized Representative (EC-REP) is a mandatory legal requirement. Simultaneously, begin organizing technical documents, including system architecture diagrams, a logical description of the MSD (Minimum Set of Data) Version 3 in compliance with new regulations, and an English user manual containing privacy clauses. Typically, 2–3 fully functional prototypes are required.
Phase 2: Core Laboratory Testing (Approximately 3–6 weeks)
This is the most time-consuming and technically intensive phase. Testing covers a wide range of areas:
·Functionality and Performance Testing: Validates automatic/manual triggering, call establishment (NG eCall requires ≤10 seconds), data transmission, and positioning accuracy (NG eCall requires dynamic error ≤3 meters).
·Environmental Reliability Testing: Conducts high/low temperature (-40°C to 85°C), vibration, and humidity testing in accordance with ISO 16750 standards.
·Newly Added Test Item – Backup Power Supply: Per new regulations, if the backup battery also powers other devices, starting January 1, 2027, it must pass the more stringent endurance test of 5 minutes of calls + 56 minutes of standby + another 5 minutes of calls.
Phase 3: Real-Road Testing (NG eCall Only, Approximately 1–2 weeks)
This is a unique phase for NG eCall. After passing laboratory testing, testing must be conducted in real EU road and network environments to verify the system’s call success rate, network switching capability, and positioning stability under actual conditions.
Phase 4: Audit and Certification Issuance (Approximately 2–3 weeks)
The Notified Body audits all test reports and technical documents. Upon approval, a Conformity Certificate with a typical validity period of 3 years is issued. After certification, you are required to permanently label the product with the "eCall" mark and fulfill obligations such as annual reporting to maintain certificate validity.
New Design Constraint – Roadworthiness Testing
The new regulation also adds a requirement that impacts system design: starting January 1, 2028, eCall systems must allow external devices to read their key status information and perform basic voice function self-tests via the vehicle’s standard diagnostic interface. This requires planning for corresponding software and hardware interfaces early in the product design phase.
How to Plan Your Certification Timeline
Based on the above information, you can plan your certification process as follows:
1.Confirm Technical Route Immediately: All new projects should be directly designed to meet NG eCall standards—do not invest in legacy CS eCall technology.
2.Reverse-Engineer Your Timeline: With the mandatory regulatory deadlines of January 1, 2026, or January 1, 2027, as your targets, initiate the certification process at least 4–6 months in advance. A complete NG eCall certification cycle typically takes 8 to 12 weeks (approximately 2–3 months), with buffer time needed for test rectification and document supplementation.
3.Budget for Risk Costs: If laboratory tests identify non-conformities, rectification and re-testing can extend the project timeline by 1–2 weeks and increase testing costs by 50%–70%. Any post-certification design changes (including OTA upgrades) may also trigger partial re-testing, adding additional time and costs.
4.Utilize Domestic Resources: Currently, authoritative domestic testing centers have obtained CNAS accreditation to conduct NG eCall testing in accordance with the latest EU standards, providing domestic enterprises with convenient access to "one-stop" pre-verification services.
We hope this analysis of eCall compliance certification steps, integrated with the latest regulatory developments, helps you clearly plan your certification path. If you can share your target vehicle type (e.g., M1/N1 class) or current R&D phase, BLUEASIA at +86 13534225140 will provide professional certification consulting services.
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