The Southern Ontario/WNY Radio-TV Forum / Never Mind AM. This Cheap New Car Comes With No Radio In It At All

**Posted by RadioActive** May 9, 2025 7:17 am

I would never buy a car without AM in it. FM & HD are great, but I want access to everything.

So I would never likely have an EV called "Slate" in my garage. The auto newcomer is designed for the budget conscious car buyer and leaves out any kind of radio at all in its dashboard. So how do you get any infotainment while you're driving it?

"[It] includes a universal phone mount with USB power and recommends drivers bring their own portable playback devices. Self-installable speakers are an optional accessory for the Slate, as is a Bluetooth speaker mount."

So would you buy one for the proposed price of just $20,000 U.S.? We'll see how well it sells if they can meet their production deadline to start turning them out in late 2026.

It’s Not Just AM, This Buzzy New EV Leaves Out Radio Entirely

**Posted by Chrisphen** May 9, 2025 8:25 am

Having no radio was a common thing in fleet vehicles back in the day.

**Posted by turkeytop** May 9, 2025 9:24 am

Chrisphen wrote:
Having no radio was a common thing in fleet vehicles back in the day.

It used to be that radio was an expensive option. I always bought without the radio and installed my own after market radio.

**Posted by Easily Amused** May 9, 2025 10:17 am

Chrisphen wrote:
Having no radio was a common thing in fleet vehicles back in the day.

My father was a flatbed hauler for all his career for a single employer, who bought the tractors that way. Dad would always have the company mechanic wire him up a radio out of a junked car, and a speaker in a wooden box. He hauled out of Buffalo eastward, and knew all the AM stations as he would progress along his travels.

**Posted by newsguy1** May 9, 2025 12:53 pm

And yet when you listen to talk radio on AM a good number of people call in (very annoying) while driving, hopefully using bluetooth, not a hand held phone.
It's annoying because usually you can hear the car ambience of rumbling and air rushing.
But the fact that a good number of people do drive and talk on the phone shows there's still a market for AM radio in cars.
I enjoy listening to AM radio while driving.
Here in my car I feel safest of all, I can lock all my doors, it's the only way to live!.

**Posted by RonaldS** May 9, 2025 4:34 pm

My first car was a five year old bare bones Chevy Cavalier - 4 speed manual, no power steering, and a big hole in the dash where the owner had installed a stereo (original purchase had no radio) and then removed upon sale to me.

**Posted by newsguy1** May 9, 2025 5:37 pm

My 1974 Honda Civic had AM radio.
Northing more.
I went to my local Vancouver car audio place and bought an AM FM stereo deck with an additional 8 track player.
Loved cruising around listening to BTO blaring out of my Pioneer speakers.

**Posted by turkeytop** May 9, 2025 7:11 pm

My first car, a five year old Dodge. It had never had a radio, but I bought one from the junk yard out of a Rambler (AM only.) Mounted it under the dash. A great radio.

**Posted by paterson1** May 9, 2025 7:17 pm

turkeytop wrote:
My first car, a five year old Dodge. It had never had a radio, but I bought one from the junk yard out of a Rambler (AM only.) Mounted it under the dash. A great radio.

My first car was an AMC Spirit GT that had an AM radio only. AMC maybe didn't always make the greatest cars, but their AM radios were remarkable. Always amazed the full rich quality sound for AM and the stations I could pull in daytime or at night.

**Posted by mace** May 9, 2025 7:23 pm

My dad's first "new" car was a 1967 Chevy Biscayne. He couldn't afford the radio. He had the wreckers take the radio out of his 1958 Delray and install it in the Biscayne.

**Posted by turkeytop** May 9, 2025 9:57 pm

My first brand new car was a 1976 Austin Mini. Not only was there no radio, there was nowhere even to mount a radio. I got an FM only radio from Radio Shack and had to mount it under the dash, on the passenger side.

Living up in Bruce County, at that time, there was only one FM station available, CKNX.

Last edited by turkeytop (May 9, 2025 9:59 pm)

**Posted by mic'em** May 10, 2025 9:32 am

My 1994 F150, which I still own, came from the factory with an Am Fm radio, which I have replaced with a more modern unit including CD and USB. I still have the original radio, and am always surprised to see what guys restoring old trucks are willing to pay for an original .