Over 92% of Americans listen to the radio. AM radioâs signal is stronger than any other communications channel in the country, and itâs what Americans count on during times of crisis. The federal government has poured tens of millions of taxpayersâ dollars into making AM and FM radio the centerpiece of its National Public Warning System.
Thatâs why itâs so disheartening that some EV makers are trying to cut costs by taking AM radio out of their dashes, instead of resolving the signal interference that their motors cause to AM reception â something Honda, Nissan, Toyota, and others have already done successfully.
The government is subsidizing EVs because it believes they will be key to protecting Americaâs long-term public health and national security interests. But if these automakers continue conflicting with the governmentâs highest responsibility â protecting public safety â these automakers should be considered part of the problem, not part of the solution
Tried to make this as apolitical as I could - the source is an article from The Hill. Bipartisan issue. No one in Fed Gov wants AM Radio removed from EVs. I tend to agree.
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clt says am radios are used by the government to spy on us, like the census!
I stream 100% at this point. Live stuff, music, podcasts, etc. once in a while I might hit radio if Iâm just thriving a mile down the road and didnât feel like connecting the phone.
I do agree it shouldnât be removed though. These cars cost so much, like removing AM is all of a sudden gonna make them affordable?!
AM radio is beyond a dinosaur. Its like still having cars with hand crank engines. In fact they were both around at the same time. If thereâs a national crisis I can listen at home. I was really bummed that digital AM and FM aka HD Radio didnât become mainstream like digital TV. Am quality is barely a step above two soup cans and a string.
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Letâs require rotary phones in homes while weâre at it.
I am not a fan of Volvo, but I love this. I love compact mini SUVs like the Hyundai Kona or Kia Niro. Hopefully they donât screw up software or something. If they do it right they will sell tons of these. Put in an NACS style connector (I know they wonât), and I would 100% get one.
Most of the other forms are based on much more complex technology and / or donât have the reach that AM Radio has. Whether itâs a hurricane or a solar flare or some other disaster, AM radio is the best way to maintain complete communication. Streaming stuff from your phone isnât viable when half the network is down. Whereas a single 50,000 watt AM âfireballâ station can reach literally half the country.
AM radio stations with powerful transmitters can reach listeners as far as 1000 miles ( 1600 km ) away. FM radio waves also travel horizontally and skyward. However, due to the higher frequency of the carrier waves, the waves that go skyward are not reflected. They pass through the atmosphere and into space.
The above is discussing skywave propagation, and is dependent on the state of the ionosphere.
In my experience, most people donât know about this. Itâs why AM signals arenât as clear as FM, but also why they travel farther.
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This Volvo will be on my list of possibles.
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GM is now on board with NACS charging! I love it!! Seriously f*** CCS. With the three biggest EV makers now agreeing on a charging standard, the rest of the dominoes will fall very quickly. Any carmaker still sticking with CCS at this point is digging their own grave.
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O - 60 in 3.4 seconds in a society that can barely drive or hold attention to the road for 3.4 seconds. What could go wrong.
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Honey! We going on a road trip in our ERV! First stop - Boone! Hopefully we get there
Regarding the battery. They said literally the exact same thing in 2017. Conveniently it always seems to be 3-5 years away. In 2027, when people have forgotten about this, they will recycle the PR piece and say solid state by 2032.
Others will. Toyota wonât. solid State Battery tech is advancing.
I think the 2030 model year will be the first year you will be able to get one on an affordable car. And that will be the game changer.
They are going to come out with a bridge unit around 2027 that will only be about 20% more efficient than Tesla batteries and that will be for the early adopters. The 2nd gen available 3-4 years later will be the 50% improvement they are already getting at smaller production scale.
