Automotive ECall Market Size, Share & COVID-19 Impact Analysis, By Type (Automatic and Manual), By Vehicle Type (Passenger Cars Light Commercial Vehicle and Heavy Commercial Vehicles) and Regional Forecasts, 2019-2026

The global automotive ecall market size was valued at USD 1.82 billion in 2018 and is projected to reach USD 3.16 billion by 2026, exhibiting a CAGR of 7.3% during the forecast period.

Automotive emergency call or (ecall) system is an “in-vehicle” emergency call service system that enables communication lines in case of accident or failure of vehicles. This system consists of an automated as well as manual ecalling system and consists of voice response that is delivered to the emergency service provider via an automated call on an emergency number. The automated call is generated in response to certain events such as a vehicle crash, deployment of airbags, or breakdown of the vehicle. A manual ecalling system is also available in which a manual button is provided in vehicles that enable the occupant to connect to an emergency number in case the vehicle’s system fails or if there is a possibility of an accident.

Moreover, a call might be placed by the driver to give any additional information to the service provider. However, this call is dropped after a certain period, if the driver’s condition is serious and is unable to respond. Furthermore, the system also provides other information such as vehicle model, geographical location, and vehicle analytical data, which is sent over SMS via an established communication system to the emergency service providers including hospitals, fire stations, and automobile service centers. This enables the authorized organizations to arrange necessary aids to the location of the vehicle’s incident.

The ecall usually functions in four stages. The initial stage is an emergency call which is made automatically when the on-board sensors register a fatal accident. The occupant can also push the manual button to make a call. The second stage is provisioned through satellite positioning. The accurate location of the accident is fixed and transmitted by ecall to the nearest ecall center along with the direction and vehicle information. In the third stage, the ecall center recognizes the incident location on the screen, and a trained operator tries to obtain data from the occupant. If there is no response, emergency services in case are sent off immediately. In the final stage, owing to the accurate knowledge of the incident location, emergency services (fire brigades, ambulances, and police) arrive much faster at the site, thus many lives are saved. This system is becoming mandatory for automobile manufacturers to fulfill legal requirements as well as fulfill customer’s safety concerns.

COVID-19 Impact on Market

The outbreak of the coronavirus (COVID-19), which initially started in Wuhan, China in December 2019, and later spread rapidly across the world, has impacted all aspects of civilization, as well as the global economy. The World Health Organization has declared it a public health emergency. This pandemic situation has forced people to stay at home. Also, the increasing death toll of humans and work productivity is likely to impact various sectors and general lifestyle over a long period. This pandemic condition is expected to impact individual behavior relating to the work style, consumption, and travel.  

The automotive industry is one of the major impacted sectors by the outbreak and is facing several challenges. The policies imposed by governments as well as other private organizations to maintain social distancing and hygiene practices as well as lockdowns have impacted many industries and are also expected to slow down or shut down the production and consumption activities for a temporary period of time. Also, governments of various regions have sealed their borders owing to nationwide curfew which has impacted the supply chain.

According to the Institute of Supply Chain Management Survey, 75% of companies have been facing supply chain disruption owing to the COVID-related transportation policies and restrictions. This global economic crisis has affected the revenue of many companies. Owing to this state, people are shifting their investments to reduce losses and are focusing more on buying utilities rather than fulfilling their luxury needs.

The automotive emergency call market growth will also be affected as private and commercial vehicle owners have redirected their investments in recovering up their losses. Also, the automobile and component manufacturing units are being closed down across the world, customers' footfalls in showrooms have dropped down radically, and the automobile sales are reducing considerably. Moreover, according to experts, the impact of this pandemic may perhaps last for a few more years. These statistics may induce people to save money for any such future consequences, thus obstructing the growth of the global market.

LATEST TRENDS

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Development of Next-Generation Telematics in the Automotive Industry is Set to Boost the Market Growth

The automotive industry is shifting towards designing and developing advanced technologies to offer advanced safety features and enhanced connectivity solutions as well as improved in-vehicle user experience. The standalone emergency calling system can incur more costs, and therefore the manufacturers are providing this system along with other automotive telematics devices. Also, these companies are working on developing an infotainment system with more features to make the journey safer, enjoyable, and as effortless as possible.

The infotainment systems connect with all the intelligent technologies such as telematics devices, V2X connectivity solutions, smartphones, ADAS systems, sensors, etc. and incorporate them with each other to offer an improved driving experience. The vehicles are deployed with an intelligent system that communicates the incident information to nearby vehicles and infrastructure units over V2V and V2I networks. The emergency service providers receive this data from the vehicles via GSM network, thereby enabling them to reach the accident spot on time.

Moreover, the development of next-generation telematics protocol and its gradual deployment in vehicles is expected to drive the automotive ecall market over the forecast period. For instance, Mercedes cars are integrated with the ‘me-contact’ system, which consists of three connectivity services such as I-call, B-call, and E-call. I-call is the information call system that provides Artificial Intelligence (AI) support such as restaurant locations and driving routes. The B-call is the breakdown call which permits the drivers to call for the 24-hour roadway assistance in case of vehicle breakdown. And, the ecall is for emergency calls which automatically calls emergency service providers in case of an accident or crash. 

DRIVING FACTORS

Rising Demand for Safety Services to Drive the Market Growth

Globally, increasing urbanization, demographic changes, improvement in the standard of living, and the rise in the disposable income of people are the foremost reasons for the rapid growth in the sales and production of vehicles. Rising traffic congestion and high rate of road accidents are raising safety concerns among consumers as well as increasing their inclination towards enhanced safety and security features in vehicles, thereby creating a high demand for automotive ecalls across the globe.

Moreover, the automotive manufacturing companies are installing these systems in vehicles owing to the rising safety concern of drivers and passengers as well as to reduce the road fatalities and provide quick relief services to injured people. This is ultimately surging the demand for these systems in the automotive industry. According to the road safety authorities, the total number of fatalities across the world has been decreasing since the last few years and the number can be reduced further by enhancing the efficiency and punctuality of emergency services. This is attributed to the rising adoption of ecalls across the world.

Stringent Government Regulations to Drive the Market Growth

Globally, the rapid growth in the number of vehicles on the road has led to an increase in traffic congestion. The fatality rate has also gone up over the years as millions of people lose their lives in road accidents across the world. Owing to this situation, governments in various countries have imposed stringent norms and regulations to reduce the rate of accidents and enhance the safety of vehicles as well as occupants. Governments are also setting standards pertaining to vehicular safety that are prompting automotive manufacturers to install emergency call systems not only in high-performance vehicles but also in entry-level and mid-sized vehicles which hold the largest share in the automobile industry. Moreover, governments are heavily investing in promoting the adoption of technologically advanced systems to develop safety features in vehicles and support the automotive industry to enable efficient and quick functioning of the emergency service providers.

• The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) lies under the United States Department of Transportation and works for road safety. According to the NHTSA, the total number of fatalities have been observed to show a decreasing trend over the years owing to the safety regulations mandated by various regulatory bodies. Also, the rate can be further reduced by improving the efficiency and punctuality of emergency service providers involved in road incidents.


• The European Commission has imposed safety norms on the automotive manufacturers and has made it mandatory for them to install emergency call systems in all types of cars and light commercial vehicles from 2018 onwards. Moreover, the increasing trend of partnership deals between the manufacturers and the emergency service providing organizations is surging the market growth in Europe.

RESTRAINING FACTORS

Increasing Jamming and Interface Issues May Restrain Market Growth

The emergency call systems installed in vehicles are directly connected to Public Safety Answering Point (PSAP). In case of any road fatalities, the minimum set of data, (MSD), is sent to the PSAP which includes all information regarding the accident along with the previous and present condition of the vehicle. In this manner, important data is sent to the nearest emergency service provider as soon as possible.

However, there are some drawbacks that are associated with this system such as the jamming of satellite signals and other interferences. A GPS receiver at times fails to figure out the vehicle’s position, causing a serious problem for the ecall.  Without the position of the in-vehicle system (IVS), it becomes difficult to provide quick rescue services, especially when commuters inside the vehicle are unconscious and are not able to contact PSAP staff. The satellite signals are obstructed by various interferences. These interferences can be intentional as well as unintentional. Intentional interferences such as jammers are used for many security purposes. Unintentional interferences may be caused by metallic components that affect the performance of internal antennas. Therefore, these interferences can restrain the growth of the market. Furthermore, these systems need to be configured according to the region.

• The European ecall functions on Galileo and European Geostationary Navigation Overlay Service (EGNOS) satellite navigation systems for generating MSD and for calling European emergency services (dial number 112) in case of any incident.

• The ecalling system of Russia (ERA-GLONASS) depends on the Russian navigation satellite system for generating MSD.

SEGMENTATION

By Type Analysis

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 Automatic System Segment to Hold Largest Market Share

Based on type, the market is segmented into an automatic and manual system. The automatic ecall holds the largest share in the global market. This is an advanced in-vehicle safety system, consisting of an automated calling device that calls the emergency service providers if the vehicle is involved in an accident or a crash. The emergency number is dialed automatically when the sensors are impacted by the occurrence of severe road accidents, or when the airbag deployment takes place in the car.

The internal antennas send signals through satellite positioning. Precise location as well as a minimum set of data (MSD) is sent to the nearest emergency service provider. Moreover, a voice call is placed for the driver to give any additional information to the service provider. However, this call is dropped after a certain period if the driver’s condition is serious and is unable to respond. Furthermore, the public safety answering point (PSAP) recognizes the precise location of the accident and immediately sends the emergency services such as the fire brigade, ambulance, police, and a technician if required. This is possible only when the system as well as the emergency, agencies, is functioning appropriately and punctually. Therefore, the adoption of these systems in vehicles can save lives as well as reduce the severity of injuries by transmitting critical data to emergency assistance and thus significantly reduce their response time.

By Vehicle Type Analysis

Passenger Car Segment Holds the Largest Share in the Global Market

Based on vehicle type, the market is segmented into passenger cars, light commercial vehicles, and heavy commercial vehicles. The passenger car segment holds the major share of the global automotive emergency call system market. Growing urbanization, expansion of the industrial sector, high demographic growth, and rise in disposable income have imposed to an increase in the production and sales of vehicles across the globe. The rapid adoption of technologically advanced systems such as infotainment and telematics by the automotive manufacturing companies is fuelling the growth of the market. Governments around the world  have imposed stringent regulations on the automotive industry to reduce the increasing rate of road accidents and enhance safety features in vehicles.

Also, the manufacturers are investing large amounts on developing enhanced safety features such as automotive ecalls to mainly provide emergency services to save lives in accidents, abide by the stringent government regulations, and ensure consumers safety. For this, the manufacturers are connecting with various sectors such as IT system providers, medical caretakers, firefighters, vehicle service centers, etc. to enhance the service providing capabilities and make this process faster to save more lives. Moreover, the integration of automotive ecalls is becoming a common and mandatory feature in passenger cars, thereby creating a high demand for this system in the global market.

REGIONAL INSIGHTS

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Europe is expected to lead the automotive ecall market share owing to the stringent government regulations regarding the preventive as well as passive safety of passengers and drivers. The European Union Transport Authority is fully dedicated to controlling the rising number of road accidents (preventive safety measure), justifying the consequences of already occurred accidents (passive safety measures), and enhancing the operating capability of the emergency services and improving the effectiveness of post-accident medical treatment (tertiary safety measures). The European Union (EU) has implemented the interoperable EU-wide ecall service which works on the improvement of road safety and the development of the automotive IT system in Europe.

Accordingly, if the response time of emergency services is reduced, the service can reduce the number of accidents in Europe as well as the severity of damages caused by accidents. This service is also projected to increase the savings of society by augmenting accident management as well as by reducing traffic congestion and accidents. Moreover, automotive manufacturers in the region are investing a high percentage to develop advanced technologies that offer more accurate and quick information regarding adverse incidents along with additional safety features. In this context, the automotive ecall can significantly contribute to the reduction of road accidents as well as reduce the severity of road injuries, thereby creating high penetration of the system in this region.

North America holds the second-largest share of the global market owing to the rising vehicular safety concerns among people as well as up-gradation in government regulations regarding road as well as passenger and driver safety. Also, the presence of prominent automobile manufacturers in this region is expected to boost the automotive emergency call system market. Asia Pacific is expected to be the largest shareholder of the global market in the forecast period owing to the rapid growth in the production and sales of vehicles. Developing economies such as India and China have been showing a dynamic growth rate in the automotive sector. Also, increasing urbanization, improvement in the standard of living, and rising disposable incomes of the people have propelled the growth of automobiles in this region. Since the past few years, the developing countries in this region are showing a prompt improvement in the ownership of passenger cars that have inbuilt telematics systems. This development and adoption of advanced automotive technologies are owing to the significance of safety innovations and changing customer preferences. 

KEY INDUSTRY PLAYERS

Continental AG and Robert Bosch GmbH are the Top Players in the Global Market

Continental AG is a pioneer developer of sustainable mobility services and technologies. The company offers efficient, safe, intelligent, and affordable solutions for vehicles, transportation, traffic, and machines. The company has been producing telematics since 1996 and has welcomed the decision of the European Commission on the emergency call system. The company has developed telematics units with in-built ecalls for all new vehicles in the European Union. The company is also working on integrating new mobile network standards in vehicles to further expand its telematics and V2X technology business across the globe.

Robert Bosch GmbH is one of the key players in the market. The company develops a wide range of connected technologies and telematics solutions. Also, the continuous R&D efforts by component manufacturers leading to technological advancements are some of the prominent factors responsible for the dominance of the company. For instance, the company has developed a telematics plug which is designed for detecting accidents as well as driving behavior.

LIST OF KEY COMPANIES PROFILED:

• Continental AG (Hanover, Germany)


• Robert Bosch GmbH (Gerlingen, Germany)


• Telit (London, United Kingdom)


• (Gemalto) Thales Group (La Defence, France)


• STMicroelectronics (Geneva, Switzerland)


• Aptiv (Dublin, Ireland)


• Flaircomm Microelectronics, Inc. (Fuzhou, China)


• u-blox (Thalwil, Switzerland)


• Texas Instruments Incorporated. (Dellas, Texas, United States)


• Valeo (Paris, France)


• Marelli Holdings Co., Ltd. (Saitama, Japan)


• HARMAN International (Stamford, Connecticut, United States)


• Infineon Technologies AG (Neubiberg, Germany)


• Fujitsu (Minato City, Tokyo, Japan)

KEY INDUSTRY DEVELOPMENTS

• March 2018 – Leading car manufacturer Daimler installed Infineon’s eSIM security controllers in the Mercedes Benz for the emergency call system. The ‘me connect’ in Mercedes Benz provides emergency call functions required by law and offers other services such as remote vehicle diagnostic, accident management, breakdown and maintenance services, and also remote services to their customers.


• August 2017 – Harman International Developed Telematics Gateway Solutions for vehicles that deliver advanced connectivity solutions as well as updates any Electronic Control Unit (ECU) through a secure and wireless connection. This new solution offers a flexible and modular hardware platform that supports various connectivity features such as breakdown call alert, eCall system, vehicle finder, local support service calls, accident alert, remote control locking, diagnostics, and much more.

REPORT COVERAGE

The automotive ecall market research report provides a detailed analysis of the market and focuses on key aspects such as leading companies, product types, and leading applications of the product.

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Besides this, the report offers insights into the market trends, competitive landscape, and highlights key industry developments. In addition to the factors above, the report encompasses several factors that have contributed to the growth of the market over recent years through several research methodologies, swot analysis, and detailed market analysis.

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