Shrinking Relevance
One car feature that has stayed but has lost some relevance for new car buyers and owners is the radio. This is largely because advances in in-car infotainment mean people can stream their own music and playlists without listening to radio DJs or ads. While FM radio still has some uses, the AM band is a different story, with some new cars even removing AM capabilities.
However, the U.S. Government seems to think that AM still has a place in modern motoring, so much so that it’s about to become mandatory for all new cars very soon.
Lexus
Essential
The U.S. House of Representatives passed the AM Radio for Every Vehicle Act. This bipartisan bill will ensure all automakers include AM radio capabilities in their cars at no additional cost. Right now, the bill still needs to pass the Senate and be signed into law by the President. One interesting thing about this bill is that it had strong support in Congress from both sides of the aisle; it had about 300 co-sponsors before it even went up for the final vote.
Why you may ask? According to most lawmakers and officials, AM radio is still an essential part of the public safety infrastructure. It can still serve as a primary device or medium for the National Emergency Alert System, transmitting alerts and vital information should telecommunication lines be down. If the bill successfully passes, all new cars sold in the U.S. will require an AM radio; in the meantime, any car sold without it must disclose the information to all buyers through a window sticker placed on the car.
Costs Vs. Need
AM radio has slowly been removed from some new cars by certain automotive manufacturers; most of them are brands that are heavily into EVs. Apparently, electric motors generate electromagnetic frequencies that disrupt or jam AM radio signals, rendering them virtually unusable in some cases. Instead of spending money and resources to fix the interference, most brands decided to just cut the AM system altogether.
Some carmakers still retain AM, though, with most finding a way to shield the AM radio from the electric battery. Ford, on the other hand, announced they’d remove AM due to low listenership, but eventually relented and reinstated the AM radio.
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