Automakers Plan to Remove AM Radio Leading to Safety Concerns

Eight automakers have decided to remove AM radio from their new electric cars due to interference from the cars’ motor with AM reception. (Other manufacturers have minimized the static issues with design and technical fixes.)

AM radio is still used nationwide for news, political talk shows, weather updates, emergency notifications, and foreign language programming. It is vital during extreme weather events.

While over 80 million Americans listen to AM radio each month, some automakers have found less than 5% of in-car listening is to AM radio.

Mazda, BMW, Tesla, Volvo, Polestar, Volkswagen, Rivian, and Ford are dropping AM radio from their new electric cars. Hyundai, Kia, Subaru, Mitsubishi, Nissan, Toyota, and Jaguar Land Rover have said there are no plans to eliminate AM radio from their vehicles. General Motors is the only other major car manufacturer not to announce their plans.  

The automakers want to eliminate AM radio to save money. Radio audiences are getting older, and many drivers aren’t listening to the radio in the car. Plus, the technology interferes with the motor in many upcoming electric car models.

Pierre Bouvard, chief insights officer at Cumulus Media, which owns over 400 radio stations, told The Washington Post, “[Radio is] what people listen to on the way to work. And Ford owners are massive users of AM radio — 1 out of 5 AM listeners are Ford owners, so Ford is missing something here.”

However, after the uproar over AM radio and lawmakers emphasizing the importance of the system for emergency alerts, Ford CEO Jim Farley announced on May 23 that the company will include it on all 2024 Ford and Lincoln vehicles. “For any owners of Ford EVs without AM broadcast capability, we’ll offer a software update,” Farley said.

No. While automakers have the final say, the House Energy and Commerce Committee announced a June hearing to discuss keeping AM radio in cars.

“Communities across the country rely on AM radio services for local news, weather reports, and other critical information. It is also a key tool for our nation’s emergency communications infrastructure, especially when other communication services are not available,” Energy and Commerce Committee Chair Cathy McMorris Rodgers (R-Wash.) said in a statement.

“Corporate penny pinching is not a justification to undermine one of our nation’s most reliable public emergency communication networks, and requiring consumers to pay more money for a subscription service to receive AM radio is not an acceptable alternative,” Energy and Commerce Committee Ranking Member Frank Pallone, Jr. (D-N.J.) added in the same statement.

The moves against AM radio have led to bipartisan protests, with Democrats noting that AM radio stations are the only live source of local information during extreme weather. At the same time, Republicans claim the elimination of AM radio would reduce the reach of conservative talk radio.

A bipartisan bill in Congress would require carmakers to keep AM broadcast radio in every vehicle.

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