“Do you really need a radio?” It sounds like a question asked by someone who hasn’t spent three hours stuck in I-95 traffic. Matt McAlear, the CEO of Dodge and Chrysler, tossed it at the crowd during the 2026 New York Auto Show. His “revolutionary” proposal? Stripping AM/FM radios from entry-level models and replacing them with Bluetooth speakers.
McAlear’s philosophy is to “make people uncomfortable” to give them something they don’t know they want yet. It’s the classic Silicon Valley “disruptor” trope, but there’s a small, inconvenient problem, the data.
According to the latest figures from Edison Research and Cumulus Media, Stellantis drivers are the absolute kings of traditional airwaves. They spend a massive 55% of their in-car time listening to AM/FM radio. For comparison, SiriusXM captures 17%, and Spotify is essentially a rounding error at 5%.
While the rest of the industry is flirting with digital subscriptions, a staggering 91% of the audio time spent in Stellantis vehicles is dedicated to traditional radio. That’s the highest percentage across the entire automotive spectrum, beating out everyone from Ford and GM to Tesla. And before you dismiss this as a “boomer” phenomenon, check the Q1 2026 Share of Ear data. Even the 13-34 demographic still spends 46% of their time on AM/FM radio versus just 30% on streaming.
Meanwhile, Honda is already leading the charge toward this minimalist dystopia, having swapped physical radio buttons for software-only sliders and axing SiriusXM receivers from its 2026 lineup. But while Honda is subtly annoying its customers, McAlear is suggesting a total divorce from reality.
Trying to “anticipate” a market that has already shouted its preference at a 91% volume isn’t vision, it’s a gamble that ignores the very people keeping the lights on at Auburn Hills. If the goal was to make customers “uncomfortable,” congratulations, Matt; you’ve succeeded.
