DETROIT – Fewer people are listening to AM radio in their vehicles these days.
That’s why some automakers have been exploring the possibility of eliminating AM radio from new vehicles, but there is pushback in Washington.
A lot of new vehicles don’t have AM radio. Yes, it can be scratchy and nighttime reception is often poor, but it’s still something emergency response agencies say is still necessary nonetheless.
Reza Moshrefi bought his Tesla 2 months ago. He said he hadn’t listened to AM radio in years, so we asked him to look for the AM band in his Tesla.
“I think it’s like an app and there’s no tuner,” Moshrefi said. “I just like open this app and it has a whole list of stations.”
It turns out, Tesla cars don’t include AM built-in, you have to find it.
“The electromagnetic fields produced by motors and EVs affect the AM radio signal,” said Gartner Auto Analyst Mike Ramsey. “It makes it very difficult to be useful.”
The Michigan Legislature first heard the complaints about doing away with AM radio in 2023 and the concerns found their way to the halls of Congress, where they worry about emergency preparedness for things like tornadoes. However, automakers feel like they can save some money by not wrapping the radio in insulation to stave off interference.
Alliance for Auto Innovation CEO John Bozzella went before a Congressional hearing recently to explain why he feels the bill to force AM radio into future vehicles is a bad idea.
“Automakers will continue to make alerts from FEMA’s Integrated Public Alert and Warning System (IPAWS) available inside the vehicle across all platforms,” Bozzella said.
The Alliance for Auto Innovation represents all the auto companies that manufacture in the United States. Bozzella said that the alert system he was referencing is free and readily available.
Automakers know this is a major issue and many -- like Ford -- are keeping it as an option.