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The US House of Representatives passed a new bill that would require carmakers to provide access to AM broadcast radio as standard equipment in new vehicles. The AM Radio for Every Vehicle Act will try to stop an industry trend of removing AM radios and sometimes even the entire radio receiver from newer vehicles.
Younger generations are no longer listening to radio broadcasts; they much prefer streaming. This is why carmakers have put the radio receiver on the chopping block. Even those who use radio have moved from the old AM Radio to newer FM or DAB. Naturally, the AM Radio was the first to disappear from newer vehicles, with EVs leading the way.
However, the AM Radio, despite its age and technical simplicity, offers some advantages that cannot be replicated by modern digital or FM radio. Specifically, AM radio waves travel over long distances, whereas FM signals, which use higher frequencies, have a range limited by the Earth’s curvature. Radio repeaters are required to broadcast the signal over longer distances.
The fact that AM radio broadcasts can be received at long distances without needing local stations makes it valuable in emergencies. Emergency alerts and traffic information are transmitted via AM radio broadcast. This is why US lawmakers have rallied to keep AM radio receivers in modern vehicles.
The US House just passed a bill that requires carmakers to provide an AM radio as standard equipment in new vehicles, at no additional cost to consumers. The AM Radio for Every Vehicle Act directs the US Department of Transportation to issue a rule that would effectively mandate an AM radio receiver in every new vehicle.
The House Energy and Commerce Committee said tens of millions of Americans still use AM radio. This makes it an important tool for emergency communications, especially when broadband networks are unavailable.
“AM radio is a lifeline. When the power goes out, when the cell towers go down, and when the Internet cuts off during a storm or an emergency, AM radio is often the only way families can get the life-saving information they need,” said Congressman Josh Gottheimer (NJ-5), one of the representatives supporting the AM radio bill.
Despite the public safety use of AM broadcast radio, many carmakers had stopped including AM radios in their vehicles. Some have even ditched the radio receiver altogether. The main reason is cost, with the radio being an easy victim, especially as few people actually use it in modern vehicles.
EV makers added electromagnetic interference as an argument, saying that an AM radio would not work very well in an electric car. However, many EVs still provide an AM function, and owners say it works flawlessly. The AM Radio for Every Vehicle Act is now heading to the Senate before being signed into law. This should put the interference argument to rest.