France in Focus

I've just discovered that all cars sold here since April 2018 must be fitted with eCall, a system that triggers an emergency call from the vehicle in the event of an accident, and is now the subject of a Controle to verify that it works etc.
My car (Dacia 2019) was bought from an importer, was intended for the Polish market, and is not fitted with it.
Just wondering where that leaves me. I suppose a trip to the local Renault/Dacia dealer should be my next step, although I'm minded to do nothing and see what happens at the CT. At worst it will be a contra-visite.

A link to that regulation please ?

@ Coldonat, I'm afraid that as from May 20 this year it's one more item on their checklist.

@ Curtis< about eCall.

Interesting in my opinion the following text from the link above:

Tous les nouveaux modèles non commercialisés avant le 1er avril 2018 devront recevoir l’eCall. Par exemple, la nouvelle C4 Cactus proposée depuis le début de l’année n’est pas obligée d’avoir le dispositif.

All new models not launched before 1 April 2018 will have to be fitted with eCall. For example, the new C4 Cactus, which has been on sale since the beginning of the year, is not obliged to have the system.


My conclusion: production/launch date is more important than the selling/buying date.

If you are worried then get a dash cam, some have a built in system that if you have an accident it will contact you by phone, if you don't answer, it will automatically notify the emergency services and give them your GPS location, the only problem is you have to have a phone signal. I have a 2021 car but not sure if it has eCall not seen anything in the handbook.

RobertArthur wrote: ↑Sat May 27, 2023 11:10 pm@ Curtis< about eCall.

. . . eCall est réalisée via le réseau GSM . . .

So eCall uses GSM - that is 2G.

Orange are withdrawing 2G by 2025 (see https://www.techradar.com/news/orange-t ... pe-by-2030).

So will all affected vehicles have to have expensive upgrades or will it just stop working?

@ niemeyjt, eCall. invented in Brussels around 2010, then engraved in stone tables, common sense doesn't help to change direction, a lot of useless chips in times of chip shortages, expensive retrofits to be expected for millions of cars in the near future. Unless governments ask private providers politely to prolong the life of their 2G networks...

Regarding ecall, I would definitly wait and see. Even more interesting is the OBFCM requirement. What will who-ever do with all the mileage and fuel consumption data? I see another tax on the horizon.

Yes, wait and see is the way I'll go. Bizarrely, when I ran a check on my car's VIN to see what year it was manufactured, it came up as 2006! Something else to look forward to when it comes to the CT.

Odd, I have a 2019 Renault and it does NOT have the eCall button on it.

Lori wrote: ↑Wed Oct 11, 2023 6:23 pm Odd, I have a 2019 Renault and it does NOT have the eCall button on it.

It is based on the launch date of the model not the production/sale date.
--------------
from EU Commission RADIO SPECTRUM POLICY GROUP Mobile technology evolution – experiences and strategies RSPG Report

eCall
• eCall: mandated in vehicles via CS eCall by EU Type Approval Regulation since
2019
o there are several million cars on EU market
o 2G/3G switch-off will render service impossible
o Retrofit of cars is not possible (see Type Approval Regulation)
o Aftermarket solutions not reliable and costly for the customer
• It is urgent that the European Commission amend the EU Type Approval
Regulation.
• In the transition period it is up to automotive industry to quickly integrate 4G
modules and find adaptive solutions for the existing fleet.
• The volume of distress calls via eCall is marginal.
• We invite the RSPG to publish usage statistics and to list possible workarounds.
• The eCall issue must be separated from 2G/3G usage for specific services (vehicle
information, breakdown calls, traffic info etc.).
(Next) eCall
Needs (ACEA):
• Auto OEMs ready to implement as soon as HEN standard is available and Type
Approval regulation is updated. But:
o Need for a clear timeline and lead time – every minute other CS eCall
vehicles hit the market and will be switched off?
o Clarification of the issue of the cost (free of cost like CS-eCall?)
o Work to be done with eco-system to adapt technicalities, testing and
implementation