Why Teslas Will Not Have AM Radios

[Schroedingers Cat]

The electrical noise produced by electronic switching in motors in Teslas and other electric cars produces so much electronic noise, you can't listen to AM, so rather than admitting this is less than desirable, they are eliminating AM Radios.

Shouldn't the FCC care about this interference? Making 4000 stations unusable is really something they ought to care about.

I've noticed that many gasoline and hybrid cars already produce so much interference, even when the engine is off, they wipe out certain AM frequencies, even several millivolt/meter signals. And a lot of devices even in the home now produce interfering harmonic signals that wipe out weaker FM STATIONS.

Again, wasn't interference to radio stations what the FCC was supposed to regulate? Hello!

Why Electric Cars Are Ditching AM Radio

BMW i3 and Tesla Model X don't offer terrestrial AM radio because of electromagnetic interference.

www.vice.com

 

[PTBoardOp94]

The electrical noise produced by electronic switching in motors in Teslas and other electric cars produces so much electronic noise, you can't listen to AM, so rather than admitting this is less than desirable, they are eliminating AM Radios.

Shouldn't the FCC care about this interference? Making 4000 stations unusable is really something they ought to care about.

The FCC has Part 15 radiation limits for the broadcast bands (and non-broadcast bands, too).

According to some amateur operators I've read, Part 15 limits are pretty loose and affect reception on certain bands at close range, such as less than 6 feet on an automobile. But the fact that the limits exist at all contradicts the premise of your post.

Provide evidence a BMW i3 or Tesla Model X violates the Part 15 limits and then we can talk about how manufacturers might be able to game the rules...

 

[Schroedingers Cat]

Part 15 needs to be revised if what Part Time Board Op 94 says is true then. I don't think the FCC ever anticipated that the noisemakers would be so close to the receiving antenna, which can't be moved far. Meanwhile, many AM formats are quickly moving to or simulcasting on full power FM, due to the abysmal interference situation on AM. Maybe Mr. Arsenault was right-advocating increasing all AM powers by a factor of 10. This should all accelerate a move of virtually all AM stations to FM, by whatever means necessary. Mr. Musk seems to be creating a lot of racket, and in more ways than one.

 

[Deleted User]

not only are the cars generating enough RF noise to make the AM radio unusable, there are hundreds if not thousands of electrical and electronic devices that have proliferated in the last 25 years that have raised the noise floor so high it makes many AM stations unlistenable.

Same thing goes for radar detectors, they are useless now as the majority of new cars have a millimeter wave radar system for adaptive cruise control and other "safety systems" on board

 

[CTListener]

Tesla or any other automaker has no obligation to explain or defend its decision to remove a feature from its vehicles, as far as I know. Musk could remove FM, too, if he wanted to.

 

[kwthom]

<...>Same thing goes for radar detectors, they are useless now as the majority of new cars have a millimeter wave radar system for adaptive cruise control and other "safety systems" on board

No, your statement above about radar detectors is not entirely accurate, but has zero to do with this thread.

 

[Schroedingers Cat]

Musk could remove FM, too, if he wanted to.

But he didn't.

Sorry I started this thread. I had no idea that DXERS OF ALL PEOPLE would get so honked off about what I said.

 

[bob_international]

Plus AM in newer cars seem to have limited bandwidth (to overcome interference?) the stations that can be received sound horrible.
I much rather take the online stream.

 

[Schroedingers Cat]

Because of indoor interference, I usually DX AM in the car. But there is one frequency that has interference, 600 kHz, even when the vehicle is off. It's obviously some on board computer electronics. Since AM is talk heavy, the bandwidth doesn't bother me. And the sibilance and related audio distortion on the AM HD I had on one car, made it sound worse to me than analog audio. The only advantage of AM IBOC HD was the call letter display.

 

[tvnut]

The FCC ought to get on the stick (or automatic) and get Tesla and other electric car builders to comply with Part 15. Maybe doing so would prompt them to add AM to FM and XM.

And SC, thanks for starting this thread.

 

[PTBoardOp94]

Sorry I started this thread. I had no idea that DXERS OF ALL PEOPLE would get so honked off about what I said.

I'm not "honked off". I only replied because I spend a lot of my professional time working on Part 15 approvals for various electronic devices, so I have a decent understanding of what that means.

The FCC ought to get on the stick (or automatic) and get Tesla and other electric car builders to comply with Part 15.

Again, as far a I know there is not evidence that the EVs don't comply with Part 15 rules.

 

[Schroedingers Cat]

I'm not "honked off". I only replied because I spend a lot of my professional time working on Part 15 approvals for various electronic5 devices, so I have a decent understanding of what that means.


Again, as far a I know there is not evidence that the EVs don't comply with Part 15 rules.

Then maybe Part 15 needs to be more stringent to cover broadband device interference. A typical FM Pirate with a clean, spur free, harmonic free, properly modulated transmitter only affects one channel, and perhaps adjacents for a house or two down the street. Many Part 15 compliant device harmonics affect weaker signals and channels all over the band. I'm not saying anyone should operate a pirate, just that they don't create nearly as much problematic interference. I used to able to hear a Class B station at the edge of their 54 dBu contour before all the FM noisemakers. Not now.

 

[CTListener]

I'm not "honked off". I only replied because I spend a lot of my professional time working on Part 15 approvals for various electronic devices, so I have a decent understanding of what that means.


Again, as far a I know there is not evidence that the EVs don't comply with Part 15 rules.

And, increasingly every year, less reason to bring back AM.

 

[PTBoardOp94]

Many Part 15 compliant device harmonics affect weaker signals and channels all over the band.

Tell you what. Since these devices are "many", I'll make an offer: Provide an Amazon link for a device that you find problematic for FM or VHF interference. If I find the price reasonable, I'll buy one and tell you which FM channels broadcast it spatters over when I get a slow day at work.

 

[Anton P]

Not all electric cars interfere with AM. My Nissan Leaf picks up AM just fine. As to why Tesla chose to avoid AM in their cars only they know. Probably because engineering expense to design switching electronics that do not affect onboard AM radio is expensive to justify for <0.01% of Tesla owners who listen to AM.

 

[Schroedingers Cat]

Tell you what. Since these devices are "many", I'll make an offer: Provide an Amazon link for a device that you find problematic for FM or VHF interference. If I find the price reasonable, I'll buy one and tell you which FM channels broadcast it spatters over when I get a slow day at work.

One is a lamp dimmer. I disconnected it. When I'm around it again, I'll find the make and model.

If the FCC moves virtually all AM stations to FM, like Mexico has, with full power, not 99 or 250 watts directional translators, it will be less of a problem.

 

[boombox4]

Tell you what. Since these devices are "many", I'll make an offer: Provide an Amazon link for a device that you find problematic for FM or VHF interference. If I find the price reasonable, I'll buy one and tell you which FM channels broadcast it spatters over when I get a slow day at work.

Point taken. But last time I checked, the AM broadcast band is also a legit broadcast band in the US.

 

[kevtronics]

Previous Tesla models did have AM radio. But in 2020 they introduced a $2500 "infotainment upgrade" which removed AM, FM, and SiriusXM. Their excuse was "Not all customers use their FM radio." After public outcry, they charged owners an extra $500 to regain access to FM and SiriusXM, but not AM:

https://electrek.co/2020/10/28/tesla-brings-back-radio-infotainment-retrofit/

 

[kfbkfb]

No FM + HD (no mention of FM HD reception capability in the Tesla Upgrade)?

Here, 710 KCMO is on 103.7 but 980 KMBZ is only on HD in the FM band, no analog translator (same w/KCSP 610).


Kirk Bayne

 

[drt]

Not all electric cars interfere with AM. My Nissan Leaf picks up AM just fine. As to why Tesla chose to avoid AM in their cars only they know. Probably because engineering expense to design switching electronics that do not affect onboard AM radio is expensive to justify for <0.01% of Tesla owners who listen to AM.

I have a 2021 Toyota Hybrid, with the SXM/FM HD and AM HD and I must be lucky, as I don’t have any interference on the AM Band, in fact, when in Tampa, there is an AM station that does music (oldies, Motown, R&B) in HD and to me that sounds fine, not as great as FM stereo, but almost there! The AM HD (as well as FM HD & SXM) in my “entertainment unit” displays both the artist, track, station id as well as some art/pics on some songs. (There’s also a separate manual for the “entertainment center” that is just shy of 190 pages!)