Need FM Radio

[sodamo]

To listen to AM radio on your phone, use apps like TuneIn Radio, iHeartRadio, or myTuner Radio which stream stations online

 

[YDR37]

A mandate is not required here. If an owner wants to install an AM radio, there will be many options.

I mentioned this to a friend of mine and his response was: "Back in the day I attached a "transistor radio" to the dash of my old truck that did not have a radio." Worked great.

$10 on Amazon.

With EVs, it's not that simple. EVs typically generate a lot of electromagnetic interference that affects the AM band. This is why many (most?) EVs sold in the US today don't have traditional AM radios. If you tried attaching a $10 AM radio to the dashboard of a Slate, you might not get anything except static.

A 2023 study found that:

There is an effort in the US Congress to require automakers to maintain AM radio in all vehicles, including new electric vehicles (EVs). However, the nature of EVs and their operating conditions, including acceleration and deceleration, pose a challenge to ensuring electromagnetic compatibility (EMC) with the analog AM band radio. This study, conducted by the Center for Automotive Research (CAR), shows that mitigating electromagnetic interference (EMI) in an EV is challenging and could lead to added costs for vehicle manufacturers. The cost of mitigation depends upon the electrical architecture of the vehicle and entails several design and engineering tradeoffs. Automakers may mitigate some EMI through vehicle engineering choices, including shielding, filtering, active noise cancellation, and strategic placement of components. These mitigation techniques can improve analog AM band reception. However, a total vehicle system EMC requirement would need to be included from the beginning of any future EV redesign, if not already considered by the automakers, to eliminate the need for piecemeal late-stage mitigations.

If the bill becomes law, maybe Slate (and other EV manufacturers) can satisfy the legal requirements at minimal cost by including a cheap AM radio, even if it doesn't actually receive anything when the motors are running. But if the bill specifies more functionality, the costs for shielding and other mitigation could be significant.

 

[YDR37]

If the bill becomes law, maybe Slate (and other EV manufacturers) can satisfy the legal requirements at minimal cost by including a cheap AM radio, even if it doesn't actually receive anything when the motors are running. But if the bill specifies more functionality, the costs for shielding and other mitigation could be significant.

The Zero Emission Transportation Association (ZETA) has taken a position against the "AM Radio for Every Vehicle Act". Slate is not listed as a member, but Tesla, Rivian, and Lucid are. My guess is that Slate would be opposed as well.

 

[KevinRS]

A mandate is not required here. If an owner wants to install an AM radio, there will be many options.

I mentioned this to a friend of mine and his response was: "Back in the day I attached a "transistor radio" to the dash of my old truck that did not have a radio." Worked great.

$10 on Amazon.

If it is mandated, Slate could offer something like that, as a free option, with a custom case to fit a dash cubby.

 

[Doug T]

With EVs, it's not that simple. EVs typically generate a lot of electromagnetic interference that affects the AM band. This is why many (most?) EVs sold in the US today don't have traditional AM radios. If you tried attaching a $10 AM radio to the dashboard of a Slate, you might not get anything except static.

A 2023 study found that:

If the bill becomes law, maybe Slate (and other EV manufacturers) can satisfy the legal requirements at minimal cost by including a cheap AM radio, even if it doesn't actually receive anything when the motors are running. But if the bill specifies more functionality, the costs for shielding and other mitigation could be significant.

Thanks for the heads up on this. Obviously, I was unaware of the interference issue and the possible legislation. That picture of that ridiculous 1960s style radio I posted seemed a lot funnier before....

 

[YDR37]

Another twist to the story involves HD (digital) AM radio.

Traditional AM/FM broadcasts are analog. But in recent years, some radio stations have started broadcasting "HD" digital signals, along with the traditional analog signal. The HD signal provides superior sound, as long as you have an HD radio that can decode it (not a $10 transistor radio).

The good news is that (1) HD AM works better in EVs than traditional analog AM, and (2) a digital AM receiver satisfies the requirements of the "AM in Every Vehicle Act" (as it is currently written).

The bad news is that (1) HD radios cost more, and (2) there are relatively few HD AM stations out there. HD FM is fairly common; HD AM not so much. You can check for local HD stations by entering your zip code here. The HD FM stations will be listed first; the HD AM stations (if any) will be listed at the bottom. For example, Warsaw Indiana (home of the Slate factory; zip code 46580) can get two HD FM stations (Adult Contemporary and Country formats), but currently has no options for HD AM.

So Slate (and other EV manufacturers) could potentially satisfy the requirements of the Act by providing an HD AM radio (which would probably also include HD FM). However, this would be more expensive than a traditional analog AM radio, and many customers would find that few (or even zero) HD AM stations are available.

 

[enigma9o7]

I am considering this truck, but the lack of FM radio seems like a big deal to me. A radio needs to work independantly of my phone completely and come on automatically and immediately when I start the vehicle. I don't care about features like power windows or power steering or automatic tranmissions or anything like that, but I need a friggen radio, sheesh.

People have mentioned if they at least offer a DIN opening we can install our own, but that neglects the hassle of installing an antenna and wiring! If this truck isn't going to offer an option for a radio, in order to make it reasonable for people to install their own head unit, besides the DIN opening, we need an antenna mount (ideally with 30" mast like full size trucks use, and all old cars used to) wired to that DIN opening. We also need power and ignition wires there so we don't have to hack into the wiring harness, and ideally also illumination and handbrake wires too. And wires to where the speakers go, so even if it doesn't come with speakers and head unit, we still needsomewhere to mount speakers, likely in the doors, with wiring to the DIN opening.

I have read other people suggest paring bluetooth speakers to a mobile phone and using streaming radio as a substitute. This may be acceptable to some, but certainly not me. I don't want to have to fiddle with my phone every time before I start driving. And I most certainly I don't want to have to fiddle with my phone *while* driving, which is illegal where I live anyway. Not to mention the issue of streaming music using tons of data, which not only costs money, but also requires a strong signal, and cuts out completely now and then. And random places where bluetooth just disconnects due to interference, etc, I know a corner that happens every single time. Not to mention when you stream FM stations thru services like iheartradio or audacy or radioFM or tunein, you get a delayed stream from live (annoying for contests or weather or traffic, especially Audacy which can be an hour or more behind), and additional ads playing over songs, sometimes ads before the station will play, and ads in foreign languages. These things don't happen with the analog or HD FM broadcasts, I can easily and quickly switch between my favorite presets.

Someone suggested using a mobile phone with built in radio. My phone has that, and requires using the line cable or headphones as antenna, which is nowhere near as good as an externally mounted 30" antenna. And my current phone doesn't even have the minijack, so to use the FM radio I have to use a usb to minijack adapter (that came with the phone) plus plugging antenna/headphones/line cable. But besides the fact that I dont want to have to fiddle with my phone, FM doesnt work over bluetooth anyway, into only works out of the headphone jack or phones internal speaker. My daughter's phone which does have a minijack is the same way so I suspect thats a common limitation, and thus negates the suggestion of using phone for FM radio with Slates bluetooth speaker option.

So slate, I suggest if you're not going to offer a radio option, you at least offer a "radio ready" option, with DIN opening (single or double makes no difference to me), 30" antenna, somewhere to mount analog speakers, and wiring harness at that din opening with power, ground, ignition, illumination, handbrake, and speaker wires.

 

[AZFox]

I am considering this truck, but the lack of FM radio seems like a big deal to me.

IMHO Slate knows people will want radios and will build in ability to install one by following some reasonable instructions posted on the Slate University pages.

Maybe they'll offer a "DIN Radio Kit" that provides everything you need except the radio unit and your choice of speakers.

"We know people are going to bring insane audio systems to this."​

-- Eric Keipper​