Positive advances of the eCall initiative
Back in March 2018, a new EU regulation has been introduced requiring eCall devices to be installed in all new cars and light vehicles sold on the European market. eCall, in case of an emergency, automatically notifies the rescue services of the accident and transmits its exact location data.
Numerous manufacturers from Europe, USA, and Asia have joined the initiative and their eCall devices have been thoroughly tested by the Joint Research Centre (JRC) – European Commission’s science service. A dedicated laboratory has been set up to assess the devices from multiple perspectives, e.g., “positioning accuracy in different types of conditions as well as the receiver sensitivity” and compatibility with EGNOS and Galileo.
The findings of the undertaking were summarised in two reports. While the first report includes all the specific details related to each manufacturer and is, therefore, confidential, the second report is written with a more holistic approach and is publicly available. Overall, the outcomes are highly positive with the majority of the eCall Devices Under Test successfully passing most of the tests.
“This first of its kind testing campaign has strengthened mutual trust and cooperation with the on-board unit manufacturers and the test/simulator solution vendors and has opened a direct communication channel with the manufacturers. This can provide a deeper insight into their products’ maturity and help them to address issues before devices are submitted for type-approval” said GSA Executive Director Carlo des Dorides.
