5 ms·
What I'd like to see is a polling effort to see what percent of people have and know how to use their AM radio, vs percent with smart phones. A quick google su
by maerF0x0 3y ago
What I'd like to see is a polling effort to see what percent of people have and know how to use their AM radio, vs percent with smart phones.
A quick google suggests 87% of the world's population has a smart phone. Less than that percent of people own a car (cause kids dont have cars, maybe access to a car is sufficient?)
Of course all this also comes down to resiliency and the better question of "Why not both?" -- a quick search on alibaba suggests you can get an AM radio for about $2, I doubt it adds more than $2 to a car manufacturer's cost (fully loaded with engineers parts distribution etc)
- e28eta 3y agoOther articles on this topic I’ve read mention EMI being a problem, and so I suspect it’s more than $2. For example, from the Verge in March: > Ford was joined by BMW, Mazda, Polestar, Rivian, Tesla, Volkswagen, and Volvo in staking out the position that AM radio is incompatible with EVs, citing electromagnetic interference from the powertrain. Indeed, Tesla made this same argument when it removed AM radio from its vehicles back in 2018. > According to a Vice article from 2016, the problem is when the interference gets picked up by the radio: >> EVs are powered by a rechargeable battery, electric motor, and a frequency converter that controls how much power the car’s electrical motors put out by turning voltage on and off thousands of times a second, basically chopping up energy. This process causes electromagnetic interference that gets picked up by the radio. I’m in favor of AM radios in cars
- fomine3 3y agoMitsubishi Electric failed to ship AM car radio. it seems that it's not very easy part. https://www.mitsubishielectric.com/news/2020/pdf/1106.pdf https://www.mitsubishielectric.com/news/2020/pdf/1106.pdf
- wkat4242 3y agoIf it requires more EMI shielding that's a good thing. EM interference isn't just a problem for the car itself. But whatever is around it too.
- rnk 3y agoI have a Tesla from that timeframe and it has an am radio and it just works. Somehow they managed this in 2012. Others can do it too. Software is not always easy but we persist.
- wkat4242 3y agoEM Shielding is not high-tech by the way, so it's something that could always be done. What is needed is simply using quality metal cans, shielded cables, metal braided tape etc. The problem is not the tech. It's cost savings.
- bombcar 3y agoIf you've ever had to try to explain something to someone on how to use a smartphone in a rush, it can be absolutely painful. Whereas in an emergency situation the cop can lean in the window, turn the car radio on to the correct AM frequency, and tell the driver to listen for updates.