eCall is the EU's in-vehicle emergency call system; on a crash it dials out automatically and sends location data. NG eCall is the new generation, moving the underlying layer from circuit-switched to packet-switched — it rides the data channel and no longer depends on 2G and 3G. The two generations have different standard systems; do not mix them.
On the regulation side there are three layers. 2015/758 is the parent law, requiring the vehicle to be equipped. 2017/79 is the delegated implementing act, giving technical requirements and test procedures. 2024/1180 is a European Commission delegated regulation, an amendment to 2015/758; the parent-law status is unchanged. The three layers each govern their own; do not treat them as one document.
The mandatory scope is M1 and N1. M1 means passenger vehicles with no more than nine seats; N1 means goods vehicles with maximum gross mass no more than 3.5 tonnes. Everyday passenger cars and light vans sit in these two boxes.
Buses, heavy trucks, two-wheelers and trailers as whole vehicles are outside the mandatory scope, but UN R144's STU component certification can technically do voluntary certification for non-M1/N1 equipment; whole-vehicle mandatory only covers M1/N1. Some companies also file fleet terminals as eCall — that is a different matter, not on the same line as whole-vehicle type approval.
Mind the dates. From 2026-01-01, new-model type approval no longer accepts pure circuit-switched schemes. From 2027-01-01, vehicles already approved under the old standard but not meeting the new one will have their Certificate of Conformity (CoC) no longer accepted for new-vehicle registration; already-registered existing vehicles are unaffected — this is a registration-effect issue, not invalidation.
T-Box-type in-vehicle communication terminals can separately take the UN R144 in-vehicle-unit (STU) certification. The EU system directly adopts and references R144, not a separate build. With the STU certificate, the module body need not repeat component testing, but once installed the vehicle level still must add integration items — antenna matching, audio path, crash-trigger linkage and whole-vehicle EMC all must be tested. What is saved is component retesting, not full vehicle exemption.
The claim that the STU certificate has a forced fixed three-year validity is widely circulated but has no found basis. Validity depends on change, Conformity-of-Production (CoP) audit, and whether the referenced base standard has been revised — an early certificate done under the CEN/TS transitional version cannot be used for new-model extension once the new standard's mandatory node arrives.
The message set runs on EN 15722; the minimum data set is 140 bytes, with the new generation extending the version. The functional core-performance standard runs on EN 17184 (upgraded from CEN/TS 17184:2022 to a formal standard, main version 2024) — a key one for the NG generation.
End-to-end testing runs on EN 17240 (upgraded from CEN/TS 17240:2018), governing the packet-switched segment. The old circuit-switched end-to-end standard is EN 16454, applicable only to 2G and 3G. Testing a new generation with 16454 is not accepted by bodies — a common rework. Hybrid schemes touch both standard families; do not blanket-state that NG devices cannot touch EN 16454.
Do not misapply positioning accuracy. The EU, per (EU) 2017/79 Annex VI, sets the open-environment CEP95 horizontal-error baseline at no more than 50 metres, with urban-obstruction counted separately; the new generation did not make 15 metres a mandatory threshold — 15 metres is a metric of a separate domestic Chinese system, do not fold it into EU requirements.
The backup battery is tested under simulated main-power-cut conditions, verifying it maintains standby for the required duration and then sustains the full call flow — not just completing one call. From 2027, new certifications also run an enhanced cycle (5 + 56 + 5 minutes). In crashes, main-power failure is the norm; if this fails, everything before is wasted.
Antenna and audio path. The antenna affects positioning and communication quality; the audio path determines whether the call is established and audible. These two are often omitted in whole-vehicle assessment. Listing subsystem compliance status early saves detours.
These projects are best handled by confirming which generation before scheduling tests; picking the wrong standard family is the biggest early waste, especially the end-to-end standard must not be mismatched. The sample configuration and test bench also differ between generations; confirming ahead saves a round.
For in-vehicle communication products going to the EU and other markets at once, BlueAsia's one-stop testing and certification views each region's emergency-call requirements on one timeline, aligning test schedules in one pass rather than re-editing samples back and forth.
Do not confuse eCall with the Russian emergency-call system; two systems, two frequency bands and two test logics — check against the regulation number when writing materials.
Contact:King Email:king.guo@cblueasia.com Address:Building C, Hongjingda Industrial Park, No. 107 Beihuan Road, Shiyan Street, Bao'an District, Shenzhen, China BlueAsia delivers more than service!
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