The NG-eCall certification process is broadly similar to traditional eCall, but the test items are more numerous, the documentation requirements are stricter, and the timeline is longer. Automakers who have done legacy eCall certification cannot simply apply old experience to the new system. Projects tend to stall at specific stages, and knowing where those bottlenecks are makes all the difference.
From the decision to start certification to holding the certificate, the process runs through six stages.
Stage 1: Preparation (2-4 Weeks)
This phase covers defining the certification plan, selecting a testing laboratory, signing contracts, and preparing technical documentation. Technical documents must be in English or bilingual Chinese-English. Chinese-only documents will not be accepted by EU notified bodies.
Stage 2: Gap Analysis (1-2 Weeks)
The laboratory checks the vehicle or component item by item against EN 17184:2024 and EN 17240:2024. Non-conformities are identified and documented. The resulting gap analysis report serves as the basis for all remediation work that follows.
Stage 3: Laboratory Testing (3-6 Weeks if Smooth)
This is the longest stage. When things go well, it takes 3 to 6 weeks. When they do not, it can stretch to several months. The sample vehicle must match the mass production configuration exactly. Engineering prototypes are not acceptable.
Stage 4: Road Testing (1-2 Weeks)
Real-world road testing validates NG-eCall functionality under actual network conditions, covering tunnels, elevated roads, signal blind spots, and other complex network scenarios.
Stage 5: Review and Certification (2-3 Weeks)
EU Regulation (EU) 2024/1180 contains no clause mandating a fixed 3-year validity period for component certificates. Both whole-vehicle and component NG-eCall certificates are valid long-term. Retesting is only required for major changes to hardware, communication modules, or IMS firmware. Transition certificates issued in 2025-2026 based on draft EN standards carry a January 1, 2028 expiration date, which is not a universal 3-year validity.
Stage 6: Ongoing Maintenance
Components require annual compliance reports. Whole vehicles undergo annual CoP (Conformity of Production) factory audits. Complete test reports, GDPR privacy documentation, annual CoP reports, and change records must be retained at the EU authorized representative's office for at least 10 years. Notified bodies can audit these records at any time.
What Gets Tested in the Laboratory?
Lab testing covers five major categories. Two mandatory hard-threshold items are commonly missed.
1. Functional Testing
Tests basic NG-eCall functionality. EN 17184:2024 mandates IMS call setup latency of 3 seconds or less, compared to 10 seconds for legacy CS-eCall. This is a mandatory test item.
MSD V3 only reserves video transmission fields. EU regulations do not mandate onboard cameras or real-time video upload testing, so no additional video hardware is needed. The dual-mode fallback mechanism is also tested. NG-eCall prioritizes IMS VoIP packet domain, falling back to CS circuit domain only when the local PSAP does not support VoIP. The lab simulates this switching scenario.
2. Performance Testing
Tests performance under various operating conditions. The shared backup power supply must complete the full 66-minute cycle: 5 minutes of call time plus 56 minutes of standby plus another 5 minutes of call time. Battery capacity that falls short requires hardware changes.
3. Environmental Testing
Conducted per ISO 16750, covering temperature cycling, humidity, salt spray, and dust/water ingress protection.
4. EMC Testing
Performed at a qualified EMC laboratory. This is a mandatory requirement.
5. Data Security Testing
Tests GDPR compliance capabilities. Data transmission must be encrypted, and storage must be secure.
Common Pitfalls in the NG-eCall Certification Process
Pitfall 1: Software Version Management Chaos
Lock the software version before certification starts. Do not make changes during the certification process. Every mid-stream change triggers retesting, and the costs pile up fast. We have seen projects where a "minor" firmware tweak to the T-Box invalidated three weeks of completed testing because the change affected the IMS registration sequence. The lab had to restart from the functional test phase.
Pitfall 2: GDPR Compliance Falling Short
The data protection submission must include encryption algorithms, transmission link security, local storage time limits, remote data deletion mechanisms, and user informed consent documents. The reviewing body sends these to a Data Protection Officer for item-by-item review. Vague submissions are rejected outright.
Pitfall 3: Inadequate Sample Vehicle Preparation
The sample vehicle must match mass production status. Engineering prototypes will not pass. The lab checks VIN codes and component batch numbers before testing begins.
Pitfall 4: Ignoring CoP Maintenance
Post-certification annual maintenance must be planned in advance. Companies that treat the certificate as the finish line often find themselves in trouble during the first CoP audit.
Pitfall 5: Mishandling Change Classification
Changes must be classified and reported by severity. Replacing the communication module, T-Box, modifying the IMS protocol stack, or altering backup power hardware counts as a major change requiring change evaluation plus partial retesting. Exterior or interior changes only do not need to be reported.
Planning Your NG-eCall Certification Timeline
The six-stage process looks linear on paper, but in practice, stages overlap and feed back into each other. Gap analysis findings may require hardware changes that push back the lab testing start date. Road testing may reveal issues that send you back to the lab. The review stage may surface documentation gaps that require resubmission.
Build buffer time into your project plan. A 4-month certification timeline assumes everything goes right the first time. Experienced project managers add 30% contingency to the baseline estimate.
Also consider lab scheduling. Qualified NG-eCall testing laboratories are not abundant, and their slots fill up fast as the 2026 and 2027 deadlines approach. Booking a lab slot 8 to 12 weeks in advance is not unusual during peak periods.
BlueAsia Testing is a Huawei HiCar authorized certification organization, recognized with the "Excellent Certification Organization" award in 2025. We offer full NG-eCall testing capabilities and partnerships with EU notified bodies, supporting automakers and component manufacturers through the entire process from gap analysis and pre-testing to formal certification and ongoing maintenance.
For NG-eCall certification process consultation, contact BlueAsia Testing: 13632500972 (Benson)
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