Bosch eCall

The "Emergency Call" from Bosch, or eCall for short, is an emergency call system for vehicles that automatically requests help in the event of accidents or emergencies or calls for help at the touch of a button. In the event of an accident, sensors installed in the car register the impact. The emergency call system then automatically establishes a voice connection to a Bosch emergency call center. With the notification, information about the accident is already transmitted, which is important for the rescue chain. This so-called minimum data set includes, among other things, the geographical position, the time of the accident and the direction of travel. Bosch also provides other important information, including the severity of the accident and the number of vehicle occupants. The trained employees in the Bosch emergency call center can use the voice connection to talk to the occupants. If necessary, the employees forward the information directly to the responsible rescue control center, which sends the rescue workers.

Bosch’s eCall has been on the market since 2012. Today, 42.5 million vehicles from more than 15 car brands worldwide have the emergency call service. The eCall from Bosch is not only for new cars, but also for older vehicles or vehicles with the help of smartphone-based solutions. The emergency call service is available in over 60 countries and in more than 25 languages.

Within the EU, a distinction is made between the legal eCall, the so-called EU 112 eCall, and the emergency call systems of private providers such as Bosch. The latter are also called Third Party Service Providers, or TPSP for short. The EU-112 eCall is fitted as standard in all new passenger car models that have entered the EU market for the first time since 31 March 2018. The difference: calls from the EU-112 eCall go directly to the public rescue centres, which can be reached by calling 112. In contrast, Bosch receives incoming eCalls in its emergency call centers and only transmits information from real emergencies and thus secured information to the control centers. The advantage is that faulty alarms, for example by accidentally pressing the emergency call button, are filtered out - which relieves the rescue control centers and keeps capacities free. Another plus at Bosch is that the emergency call center staff remain on the phone and look after the injured persons until the emergency services arrive. And if necessary, in a language that differs from the local language of the respective accident site.