Implementation of eCall requires all parties to be ready together, says auto industry

Brussels, 26 February 2014 – The European Automobile Manufacturers’ Association (ACEA) takes note of today’s vote in the European Parliament on eCall, a system designed to automatically alert emergency services in the event of a road traffic accident or collision.
“The automobile industry is committed to safety,” said ACEA Secretary General, Erik Jonnaert. “eCall is one of many developments designed to limit the effects of road accidents, and the industry has supported it from the outset.”
For eCall to work, three things need to be ready simultaneously:
- The devices need to be fitted to cars and vans;
- The equipment to receive and process the call – the Public Service Answering Points – must be ready in all member states; and
- The mobile network coverage needs to be in place.
Considering the member states’ requirement for working infrastructure to be in place, the target date of October 2015 is very ambitious. “It would be of no use to have cars and vans equipped with eCall if the EU-wide infrastructure is not ready and able to receive eCalls,” explained Mr Jonnaert.
Regarding the complex issue of data protection, vehicle manufacturers are committed to protecting their customers’ privacy. Jonnaert: “At the end of the day, we cannot forget that the primary purpose of eCall is safety, so the right balance between protecting data and saving lives must be ensured.”
About ACEA
- The European Automobile Manufacturers’ Association (ACEA) represents the 14 major Europe-based car, van, truck and bus makers: BMW Group, DAF Trucks, Daimler Truck, Ferrari, Ford of Europe, Honda Motor Europe, Hyundai Motor Europe, Iveco Group, JLR, Mercedes-Benz, Renault Group, Toyota Motor Europe, Volkswagen Group, and Volvo Group
- Visit www.acea.auto for more information about ACEA, and follow us on www.twitter.com/ACEA_auto or www.linkedin.com/company/ACEA/
Contact:
- Cara McLaughlin, Communications Director, cm@acea.auto, +32 485 88 66 47
- Ben Kennard, Content Editor and Press Manager, bk@acea.auto, +32 2 738 73 17
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About the EU automobile industry
- 12.9 million Europeans work in the automotive sector
- 8.3% of all manufacturing jobs in the EU
- €392.2 billion in tax revenue for European governments
- €101.9 billion trade surplus for the European Union
- Over 7% of EU GDP generated by the auto industry
- €59.1 billion in R&D spending annually, 31% of EU total