An Interview with John Whitecar: A Decades-Long Journey to the Future of Automotive Audio

Automotive audio industry veteran John Whitecar is currently the VP of Product Management, Automotive at DSP Concepts and a leading expert in his field, renowned for his important work with Texas Instruments, Tesla, and Ford, among others. In this interview, John shares details of his work in the design of custom-mixed signal DSP-based automotive receiver ICs, which awarded him the Henry Ford Technology Award from Ford Motor Company. He also discusses why we are only getting started in an exciting era for automotive audio. This article was originally published in audioXpress, June 2022.

For the audioXpress 2021 Automotive Audio Solutions update, Roger Shively (JJR Acoustics and Co-Chair of the AES Automotive Audio Technical Committee) wrote an expanded overview of the many ways in which the audio industry is increasingly interacting with car manufacturers, particularly in the transition to fully-electric powered vehicles. This article was originally published in audioXpress, June 2021.

The Audio Product Education Institute (APEI), an initiative of the Audio Engineering Society, will host a new webinar on Automotive Audio on Tuesday, April 27, 2021, at 8:00 AM Pacific (11:00 AM EDT). This will be the first open discussion in the audio community focusing on Acoustic Vehicle Alert Systems (AVAS) and Automotive Sound Design – a new and immediate need for automotive audio engineers and carmakers alike.

Polestar 2, the new all electric car model from the exclusive brand owned by Volvo Car Group and Geely, is also betting strongly on distinct interiors and a focus on the whole audio experience. The Polestar 2 features a premium Harman Kardon audio system developed by Harman uniquely for the car, and allows over-the-air (OTA) updates to introduce new and improved audio features and functions over time. And being a Swedish brand, Polestar 2 also features Spotify Group Sessions Beta directly in its built-in Spotify app.