Auto makers to remove am/fm radio from new vehicles

[dwb]

Last week, Tesla confirmed it will remove FM radio from its base Model 3 and Model Y vehicles. Just days later, General Motors doubled down on plans to eliminate Apple CarPlay and Android Auto, opting instead for proprietary systems designed with Big Tech partners.

Hard to believe Elon Musk is allowing this to happen!

For generations, the car radio has been the great equalizer - free, local, and open to all. It delivers news, weather alerts, and community updates instantly, no subscription or data plan required. But as vehicles become software platforms, automakers are rewriting the rules. They’re no longer just selling cars — they’re building digital ecosystems. By removing AM/FM radio and blocking third-party apps like CarPlay and Android Auto, they funnel drivers into closed environments where they alone decide what content is available. This isn’t about innovation. It’s about revenue and control.

Wow! I just can't imagine getting in my truck and not having the freedom to listen to what I want to hear. What used to be classic rock has turned into talk radio and Christian shows, but the freedom was always there. If I didn't like was what on I could always just change the channel, and I did regularly. Having what someone else wants me to hear is not an option. There is just too much of that already. Everything today is marketing in one form or another.

Sadly, this is where we are headed, like it or not, unless we decide at the ballot box to start making changes. Even then it is going to be a battle as we head into the end times.

 

[Tall Timbers]

If they remove android auto and the apple equivalent, will have to use the phone screen for mapping. That or pay GM a subscription fee every month.

I hope google doesn't decide to start charging for Google maps.

 

[Andy C]

Hopefully, all automakers wont go this route, but that might be wishful thinking on my part.

I have used Sirus XM Satellite radio for years in all our vehicles. However, I do use apple car play for my Mapping when traveling on a long trip.

 

[Baby Yoda]

I don't drive much and refuse to pay for a service, and will surely miss am radio.

 

[Cheeky200386]

I use the gps on my phone to travel. I’m on my brother’s in law Spotify account to listen to anything I want without adds. I refuse to pay for subscriptions. I never listen to the radio apart from the classical channel because there is nothing I would want to listen to.

If that got removed, along with Spotify, I would probably find a way to connect a mp3 player with preset music. I have old cds all ripped on my hard drive for such a time.

 

[Armor of Light]

I like my old truck, all the more reasons to keep it. Maybe this creates a new business avenue for entrepreneurs to do am/fm installations?

 

[KMendel]

If this is true, Christian radio will take a big hit, as most people listen while driving.