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Tesla like many other cars we get the right hand drive models aimed at the UK, India, Japan, NZ, Indonesia and others.
As a result we get the infotainment systems which contain FM & DAB+ tuners. In India, the mass market manufacturers are voluntarily installing DRM/FM infotainment system. There is now over 5 million and rising rapidly. They are factory installed at no extra price. This is because All India Radio has covered the country with strong DRM signals.
Why does the USA who invented the T Model Ford and AM radio at around the same time trying to keep this old wasteful technology. AM has a carrier which is the power rating of the transmitter when transmitting silence, and this increases by 50 % for the loudest sound. By comparison DRM and DAB+ has no carrier. They use COFDM which was invented by our CSIRO, and is also used for WiFI and our digital TV.
I agree with Mr St. John.
While manufacturers may be ditching AM and/or FM and at the same time people wanting to listen to AM and FM radio as recently reported on this site, there may come a time where there are a lack of motorists listening to the AM and FM bands.
A solution for cars without AM/FM/DAB+ reception are (i) listening to an IP-connecte app vthe mobile networks on the car's infotainment system, (ii) listening to DAB+ simulcasting the AM and FM sons if a future car is equipped with DAB+ reception, (iii) retrofitting the car with a DIN or double DIN aftermarket infotainment system with AM, FM and DAB+ or (iv) an AM/FM/DAB+ receiver that is powered by the 12V socket and the output is fed into the infotainment unit's 3.5mm socket.
Without discussing the details you have to consider (i) the price of data on mobile networks, that (ii) DAB+ is limited to metropolitan areas and rural broadcasters want to go from AM to FM. Then (iii) a car's issued infotainment unit may be inextricably linked to the particular car's functions such as the car's reverse camera and engine management graphics. This makes it difficult for choosing the correct aftermarket infotainment unit. Then there are (iv) the availability of 12V powered (cigarette lighter socket) radio receivers equipped with AM, FM and DAB+.
Mr St. John has pointed many times that DRM+ is a more energy efficient method of conveying many signals at the MW, SW and VHF bands and depending on the band such as MW and SW the signals can travel long distances. That is longer distances than line-of-sight VHF.
It goes to policy implementaion of DRM+ at the legislative level
It is because the market forces are not keeping pace with technological advancements and potential of DRM+.
Furthermore the technology of DRM+ is in the public domain compared to HD radio's proprietary technology and more countries implement DRM+ than HD radio.
Thank you,
Anthony, sometimes the invisible forces of the economy don't freely flow, Belfield, in the land of the Wangal and Darug Peoples of the Eora Nation.
Whilst the telcos go on about near 100 % Australian coverage they are talking of the account addresses. The coverage area is around 21 % making reception using mobile broadband patchy in regional areas.
Now that all cars are imported and we, UK, India, New Zealand, Indonesia and a few other countries all have right hand drive cars. The UK has extensive DAB/DAB+ networks and like much of Europe has been closing down AM transmitters in both Medium and Low Frequency bands because DAB+ is so much cheaper. This is why we get the DAB+/FM receiver models. In India there is near national strong signal coverage of All India Radio. The Indian car manufacturers have been voluntarily installing DRM/FM/AM radios in nearly all new cars at no extra cost. There is already 5 million of those cars and the number is rapidly rising.
The ABC claims to be the emergency broadcaster. In all of Central and Western Australia except Darwin and parts of Eastern Australia these warnings are transmitted on AM. So, for example if a Tesla is driving in the forest in WA's South West there are areas of no mobile broadband coverage. As a result the driver can drive into a fire ground unaware of the danger.
DAB+ due to its 174 - 230 MHz transmission frequency produces much smaller coverage areas than the 47 - 68 MHz of band 1 DRM. Both systems can radiate the 18 ABC/SBS programs from a single transmitter. Thus band 1 DRM is more suitable for regional Australia.