At WorldDAB’s automotive conference last week in Germany, Commercial Radio and Audio chief executive Lizzie Young warned electric vehicle manufacturers that broadcast radio receivers in EVs are essential for Australian conditions. At the event, industry body egta outlined the unified response by the broadcasting industry to the changing in-car entertainment environment.
With the sudden escalation of electric vehicle sales in Australia during the recent oil crisis, radio’s place in the car could be under threat if EVs do not include radio receivers.
Last month the Tesla Model Y (made in China) was the best-selling vehicle in Australia. The base model does not have an AM or FM tuner, according to some owners, who have expressed their unhappiness about that in Tesla social media owners groups. This month a cargo ship filled with 5000 BYD cars is on its way to Australia. Most recent BYD cars do have an AM/FM/DAB radio receiver.
Radio remains an important part of the in-car listening experience, according to the Infinite Dial research. Young referred to that research in her WorldDAB presentation to equipment manufacturers and automobile companies. “84% of Australians listen to the radio in car weekly… Radio is still the most preferred in-car audio source,” she said.
“AM, FM, DAB+ and IP Radio receivers must remain in the car… it is critical to us as a nation because of our size and scale… and emergencies. We have a unique set of circumstances in Australia, these factors remain the same as they have been in recent years,” said Young.
“But one thing has changed, recently” said Young in her 2026 update.
“For the first month ever, in May, an electric vehicle was the number one selling car in Australia. That is the first time that has happened.” The chart above from Young’s presentation shows the surge of EV consumer interest and penetration in Australia, driven by “skyrocketing fuel costs and geopolitical conditions.”
Commercial Radio and Audio will continue pushing the message to car manufactures that live to air radio broadcast receivers should remain prominent in automobile infotainment systems, given the preference for drivers to listen to radio in cars and for content, safety and resilience reasons. “It is important for the whole radio industry,” she said, noting that other broadcast sectors are also in line with that message.
“We see it as a three way partnership [between the radio industry, government and car manufacturers] to do the right thing by consumers.”
Earlier this month, egta, the international trade body for multiplatform TV and audio businesses, joined Radio Ready, the global industry-wide campaign focused on ensuring radio remains accessible, prominent and easy to discover in connected cars.
This latest move brings broadcasters, advertisers and media companies together behind a shared goal: keeping radio easy for listeners to find and use as cars become increasingly connected. “Radio’s future in the connected car is not just a matter for broadcasters, it is about preserving consumer choice, accessibility and the unique value that radio brings as a trusted companion to millions of listeners every day,” said Thierry Mars, Radio Director of egta
Radio Ready, founded by Bauer Media Group, Swedish Radio and the European Broadcasting Union, was established as a unified response by the broadcasting industry to shift in the in-car entertainment environment. A range of speakers from the organisation spoke in a WorldDAB session titled Radio Ready: protecting easy, universal access to in-car radio
While in-car radio remains vital to drivers and passengers, the way it is accessed is changing, with increasingly complex entertainment systems creating new challenges for discovery, visibility and ease of use. Radio Ready is pursuing five priorities this year to ensure radio remains strong in the car.
