People Are Angry Rivian's New SUV Won't Play Radio In The Woods

Discovery of an early owner’s manual shows that the incoming Rivian R2 midsize electric SUV will omit built-in AM and FM radio hardware entirely, forcing owners to stream broadcast channels via an integrated iHeartRadio internet application.

The play follows an industry trend toward eliminating analog signal receivers. Tesla removed AM and FM tuners from several of its vehicle architectures, while brands including BMW, Volkswagen, and Mazda began systematically purging AM bands from their line-ups due to electromagnetic interference generated by electric drivetrains. Rivian is taking it a step further by removing the FM band too.

Deleting physical radio tuners has caught criticism from the overland and off-road community, a core demographic for Rivian's rugged brand identity. Cellular data coverage remains highly fractured or entirely non-existent in remote public lands, state parks, and many deep rural corridors.

Exacerbating the feelings—highway departments and emergency management agencies rely on localized, AM carrier waves to broadcast real-time road conditions, forest fire evacuations, and severe weather alerts.

The story wouldn't be complete without political sprinkles on top. Bipartisan U.S. lawmakers introduced the "AM Radio in Every Vehicle Act," in a legislative push to mandate analog AM tuners in all new passenger vehicles to preserve the integrity of the Federal Emergency Management Agency’s (FEMA) National Public Warning System.

Data from Nielsen indicates that roughly 82.3 million Americans tune into AM broadcast stations monthly.

Become a TTAC insider. Get the latest news, features, TTAC takes, and everything else that gets to the truth about cars first by subscribing to our newsletter.

from TheTruthAboutCars https://ift.tt/ovikK7c
via IFTTT