UN R144 eCall Certification Standard Explained | Full Test Cases for NG‑eCall On‑Board Emergency Calling Systems

eCall stands for mandatory crash‑triggered emergency calling systems installed on M1 and N1 light‑duty vehicles sold within EU territories to dial 112 automatically after traffic accidents. UN R144 is the UN regulation governing type‑approval of such on‑board devices. The EU released the new parent law (EU)2024/1180 in 2024 to replace the outdated 2015/758 regulation and fully roll‑out NG‑eCall. Starting from 2026, EU authorities reject new‑vehicle certification applications relying purely on 2G or 3G CS‑eCall solutions. This article explains regulatory hierarchies and UN R144 test items in detail.

1. Three‑Tier eCall Regulatory Framework

·Top‑level EU parent law: (EU)2024/1180 replaces 2015/758 and sets out compulsory market‑access requirements. Documents named (EU)2025/1871 circulating online are fake and cannot be found in official EU gazettes.

·Middle‑level UN R144 Rev.1 type‑approval framework supports both legacy CS‑eCall and new‑generation NG‑eCall and gains mutual recognition among EU and EAEU member states.

·Bottom‑layer technical standards: EN 17184:2024 defines high‑level protocols for NG‑eCall covering IMS registration, SIP signalling and MSD data transmission; EN 17240:2024 specifies end‑to‑end compliance tests including PSAP interoperability and network fallback judgement rules. Old‑version CS‑eCall adopted EN 16062 and EN 16454 which are no longer accepted for new certifications starting from 2026.

Key mandatory timeline milestones:

·Jan‑01‑2025: Component‑level and whole‑vehicle NG‑eCall certification opens with both legacy CS‑eCall and NG‑eCall options available.

·Jan‑01‑2026: EU authorities decline new‑vehicle applications based on standalone 2G or 3G CS‑eCall. New car models must adopt 4G‑5G IMS set‑ups with 3G fallback capabilities.

·Jan‑01‑2030: All existing CS‑eCall certificates expire and only NG‑eCall systems remain compliant. Rumours about expiry dates in 2027 and a 2028 transition period are totally unfounded.

  2. Four Core Test Items Under UN R144

·Crash activation testingThe system triggers emergency calls only when acceleration exceeds 4g with tests covering frontal, side and rear‑end collisions. Small bumps, regular deceleration and vehicle shaking cannot activate eCall falsely. After impact tests, engineers re‑check antenna performance. EN 17240 adds new RF attenuation limits post‑collision, ensuring antennas keep working after metal deformation and wire squeezing.

·MSD data transmissionNG‑eCall exclusively uses MSD V2 format rather than V3. Version‑2 reserves optional video fields but video delivery is not compulsory. MSD datasets include VIN codes, GNSS coordinates, accident timestamps, driving directions, passenger numbers, crash severity and battery status, which must be encrypted and sent to PSAP right after calls establish. Missing any piece of data results in test failure.

·Voice call establishmentNG‑eCall runs on IMS VoIP channels and sets a maximum 3‑second limit from crash triggering to two‑way audio connection with PSAP, compared with the previous 10‑second requirement for CS‑eCall. IMS registration for T‑Box devices needs to finish within five seconds after power‑on with a minimum 99% success rate under weak signals, base‑station hand‑offs and network congestion. When IMS registration fails repeatedly, systems switch back to 3G CS mode automatically.

·66‑minute backup‑battery performanceOnce the main car battery cuts off after crashes, backup batteries should support a 5‑minute call, followed by a 56‑minute standby period plus another 5‑minute call. Labs will not approve products tested only for a 10‑minute call duration. Testing also includes battery‑capacity evaluation under ‑40℃ to +85℃ temperature cycles, long‑term vibration and humidity environments.

  3. Extra Test Requirements for NG‑eCall

·Full‑mode fallback verificationT‑Box hardware has to adopt 4G plus 3G dual‑mode modules; pure 4G set‑ups fail certification. Systems switch to 3G CS services if PSAP does not support IMS VoIP or 4G‑5G IMS signals get lost without audio interruption or data loss. Many manufacturers waste time after finding their 4G‑only modules are disqualified during lab testing.

·CAN‑bus interaction tests (mandatory for factory‑installed vehicles)T‑Box units read crash‑sensor signals, seat‑belt status, vehicle speed and battery voltage from CAN‑bus and pack this information into MSD V2 datasets. For cybersecurity compliance, developers cannot enable full CAN‑bus access; data minimisation and isolation mechanisms become compulsory.

·Multi‑band cellular coexistence and spurious‑emission testingEngineers test output power, spectral masks and adjacent‑channel leakage for full LTE and 5G bands, and millimeter‑wave NR products need OTA chamber testing complying with RED directive EN 300 224.

·Cybersecurity and privacy complianceFirmware implements secure boot with RSA‑3072 or ECC P256 signature verification and anti‑rollback protection for OTA updates to block unapproved firmware installation. Vehicle location and car‑related data transmit after AES encryption complying with GDPR data‑minimisation rules. Products must deliver EN 18031 cybersecurity risk‑assessment reports and fix high‑risk vulnerabilities within seven days.

·TPS third‑party rescue servicesCar‑makers’ private rescue platforms work alongside public 112 channels independently, supporting compatible MSD decoding and voice‑call services.

 4. Certification Process and Overall Timeline

UN R144 provides two parallel application routes: AECD component‑level certification and M1/N1 whole‑vehicle type‑approval.

·Pre‑preparation including hardware schematic diagrams, BOM lists and cybersecurity risk assessments takes 2‑4 weeks.

·Full T‑Box component testing takes 3‑4 months for regular 4G‑5G NG‑eCall hardware and 4‑6 months for millimeter‑wave‑supported devices with each round of revision adding 1‑3 weeks.

·Whole‑vehicle integration plus physical crash tests lasts for 2‑3 months, while re‑using pre‑approved T‑Box components cuts test items by roughly half.

·Notified‑body review and certificate issuance takes another four to six weeks.

Overall lead‑time ranges from 8‑12 months without major revisions, and can extend to over 15 months if repeated communication‑system and battery adjustments are required.

  5. Common Mistakes and Updated 2026 Audit Requirements

·Stricter GNSS positioning rulesGPS and Galileo dual‑constellation systems become standard with dynamic positioning CEP error below 15 metres after crashes. Starting in 2026, the 66‑minute backup‑battery test needs a standalone Annex‑X data‑curve report instead of combining results with functional test documents.

·Separate certification requirements for China and European marketsEU‑market products comply with UN R144, (EU)2024/1180 alongside EN 17184‑17240 standards, while China’s in‑vehicle emergency calling follows GB 45672‑2025 AECS released on April‑25‑2025 and becomes mandatory from Jan‑01‑2027. Test standards, data formats and communication frameworks between the two regions cannot be shared.

·Certificate invalidation conditionsReplacing cellular chips, antennas or backup‑battery capacities void existing UN R144 certificates and triggers full re‑testing. Simple UI adjustments or upper‑layer software updates only need simplified change filings.

·Compatibility checks for local PSAP systemsUN R144 testing uses EU standard reference PSAP platforms. Public answering centres in Germany and France deliver full compatibility while Sweden and Finland run slightly modified local eCall systems. Run extra interoperability verification if exporting cars to Northern European countries.

For UN R144 pre‑testing, T‑Box compliance evaluation and notified‑body application support, contact BlueAsia compliance consultant Benson at +86 13534225140.