German Tier 1 supplier, Bosch has announced its new range of automatic ‘emergency call’ system – eCall (for short), a digital first responder which automatically calls for help in case of an accident, can be retrofitted in existing vehicles.

The European Union has mandated starting March 31, 2018 all new vehicles to be equipped with the automatic eCall system. This requirement means that a digital first responder system, which automatically calls for help in an accident will be riding along in the car, each and every time.

“Connecting cars makes a great deal possible. Through the automatic eCall system, connected vehicles are now going to become lifesavers as well,” says Dr Dirk Hoheisel, member of the board of management of Robert Bosch GmbH.

According to the mandate, all new passenger vehicle models that hit the EU market after March 31, 2018, will come with eCall as standard. These vehicles will feature a standardised eCall box that automatically alerts the local emergency services via the number 112, which is the same across Europe. As a result, lifesaving assistance will be able to arrive with greater speed and precision at the scene of an accident.

The EU expects that eCall will save 2,500 lives each year and reduce the number of people who are seriously injured by 15 percent. The first automakers are already providing their customers with the digital lifesaver as part of the navigation system without being required to do so by law. Bosch states its extensive eCall range featuring telematics solutions and services, and thanks to its telematic eCall plug, even existing vehicles can benefit from the solution.

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European automakers to install life-saving ‘eCall’ system from March 31