interesting story, on a subject that won't go away . . . some European electric auto makers decided on no radios in their cars, from 6/10/24 Radioworld
Dude, Where's My Car Radio? - Radio World
Dude, Where's My Car Radio? - Radio World
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story of some European electric car makers not putting radios in cars
- Thread starter alok
- Start date
There are still substantial parts of the American West that do not have data capability/coverage. How is it like in Europe?
This is Stellantis, which you probably remember as Chrysler-Dodge-Jeep-Ram.
The bottom line is that "smart" entertainment options are a revenue stream for the automaker, because the car has a cellular modem built in and the automaker has a monopoly on that service. AM/FM/DAB is just a cost.
I should have pointed out I am in the U.S. I saw the story in Radioworld (6/10/24) and posted it, since it is a "no radio available" thing by an automaker, yes in Europe but is it something to maybe be concerned about here in the states too in the future?
Yes, I agree with certain parts of the country (U.S.) not having good data coverage.
Correct on revenue stream maker for automakers rather the regular radio.
And yes, on no radio available in the states on some cars, earlier on, in the 50's at least it was an option that you could get or not get a radio, saving some cost when you purchased the car.
Yes, I agree with certain parts of the country (U.S.) not having good data coverage.
Correct on revenue stream maker for automakers rather the regular radio.
And yes, on no radio available in the states on some cars, earlier on, in the 50's at least it was an option that you could get or not get a radio, saving some cost when you purchased the car.
"Writing on LinkedIn, Lanctot noted that Stellantis, which owns Citroën, and Groupe Renault, which owns Dacia, seem to have found a loophole in European Commission regulations. It turns out while the EC has mandated that car radio support DAB+ digital radio, it did not mandate that vehicles include a radio."
Tesla has been doing that for several years now. You have to pay $500+ extra for a "Radio Upgrade Package" to get FM and SiriusXM (no AM, of course).
The early 2010s, you mean. The Great Recession led to a comeback of the "stripper" base model having no A/C and no radio:
Did You Know That You Can Still Buy A New VW Without A Radio? - 1A Auto
VDub2625 over on VWVortex spotted this new Jetta in a local dealer. It is the meaning of a base model, like no radio sort of "base". Why you ask? Well, because they are selling it brand new for $13K, and viola, it is posted all over the interwebs for being a strange bird. Win? Lose? I don't...
blog.1aauto.com
I'm in Europe. I plug my Android smartphone into my 2023 Toyota's USB socket, and listen to the radio, podcasts or music via Android Auto, controlled via the car's touchscreen or steering wheel controls. I haven't listened to FM or DAB for more than a few minutes since I got the car.
There is good 4G or 5G signal everywhere I go, including remote parts of Scotland and its islands. The signal from the cell network is more reliable than FM and DAB in remote areas, as you're connected to cell towers that are at regular intervals along the road, rather than trying to keep hold of an FM signal from a tower 50 miles away on the wrong side of a mountain. Data is cheap enough that you don't think about the cost.
This is becoming mainstream. Other than a bit of scanning around the band when I'm in a new place, I don't think I'd miss it if my next car didn't have the radio receiver, and just had the smartphone connection - I'd certainly pick the smartphone over the radio if I had to choose one.
There is good 4G or 5G signal everywhere I go, including remote parts of Scotland and its islands. The signal from the cell network is more reliable than FM and DAB in remote areas, as you're connected to cell towers that are at regular intervals along the road, rather than trying to keep hold of an FM signal from a tower 50 miles away on the wrong side of a mountain. Data is cheap enough that you don't think about the cost.
This is becoming mainstream. Other than a bit of scanning around the band when I'm in a new place, I don't think I'd miss it if my next car didn't have the radio receiver, and just had the smartphone connection - I'd certainly pick the smartphone over the radio if I had to choose one.
That's a great point and one that is frequently missed around these parts: Automakers try to give the majority of consumers what they want in entertainment and features, and then sell the usage data to insurance companies and ad agencies. One way media like radio provides none of those benefits.
But it was relatively easy to add a radio to those cars, since they did have the space in the dash where a radio could be installed. That's no longer the case for newer cars.
One more in my long list of reasons to not buy a Tesla when I get my next car. (And note that I'm not anti-EV, since my next car probably will be electric and my current vehicle is a plug-in hybrid)