World Radio Day - How US Lawmakers Are Saving Your Car Radio | V3Cars

When Tech Takes It (A Bit) Too Far

Let’s get this one thing straight: almost all car manufacturers care about the bottom line. So much so, that they’ll cheap out on 100 bucks worth of parts to save cash. There’s a reason we are seeing only 2 rear parking sensors even in large D-segment SUVs. while some carmakers cheap out in one area others find other angles to cut costs.

In 2020, Tesla crossed a line. Now that they had a reliable internet connection in every car, they decided to ditch the analog radio citing that their customers don’t use it. And the ones that do, can stream it directly to their car using the high-speed wireless connection.

This started a movement among the American people to bring back the radio and make sure every car has it. Just as people were rallying against Tesla, in 2022, General Motors announced that they would offer it as an option in their higher-end cars. This was the last straw.

AM Radio For Every Vehicle Act Of 2023

In May 2023, the bill was introduced in the House of Representatives by Josh Gottheimer, a representative from New Jersey. The bill proposed mandating AM and FM radio capabilities for every new vehicle sold in the USA at no extra cost.

In July 2023, it reached the Senate. In both, the House and the Senate, it passed with bipartisan support.

No Further Update

There's been no update on this since July 2023 as the Alliance for Automotive Innovation representing major automakers is opposing it. Their argument is that there are several other methods for delivering critical information to the citizens. Relying on ancient technology hinders progress and innovation. The President of the US is yet to sign it into a law as he’s busy campaigning for the upcoming general elections. Going against the automakers over a trivial issue like ‘radio in car’ could potentially cost Joe Biden his presidency.

How Will It Help Indian Cars?

Now, you might be wondering how passing a law in the US helps keep the radio in Indian cars. The thing is, manufacturers find it expensive to make different versions of their vehicles for various markets. Since this is not an expensive piece of hardware, removing it in some countries and keeping it in others could in fact, end up costing more than just making it standard in all vehicles.

Did you know that the iPhone 15 in India has a standard USB-C port because of a law passed in Europe, which forced Apple to just do away with their proprietary lightning connector. They didn’t make different versions of the iPhone for European and other countries. With USB C, you can just use any modern Android phone’s charger. You can borrow others’ chargers and cables too. And you have the European Union to thank for that.

But, today, I feel grateful to the American people for helping keep the AM and FM radio in my recently purchased electric car.

Also Read: Tata Motors - Only Major SUV Maker w/o 4WD In Portfolio — Not An Opinion

Note: Calculate Car Fuel Cost with V3Cars for India and Other Countries

BYD Celebrate The World Radio Day

You may not have heard of BYD, but this carmaker is easily one of the largest electric car and battery manufacturers in the world. BYD also have Warren Buffet’s Birkshire Hathway backing them with investments. Their batteries are so good, that even Tesla vehicles in certain markets have them. That’s despite Tesla having their own battery chemistry in production.

It was a message from BYD I received today that reminded me to check for any updates on this radio mandate situation in the USA.

Here’s a simple video from BYD celebrating the World Radio Day by showcasing FM radio in their Atto3 EV:

Also Read: BYD Seal Spied Ahead Of March Launch – Bookings Open

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