Bipartisan legislation is moving through Congress to require that all new vehicles sold in the United States include AM radio receivers — a response to the trend of automakers dropping AM radio from their infotainment systems, particularly in electric vehicles. The impetus for removing AM from EVs is technical: the electric motors and power electronics in EVs generate electromagnetic interference that can degrade AM reception significantly. BMW, Tesla, Ford, and Volkswagen have all removed AM from at least some EV models in recent years.
The congressional response might seem quaint — fighting to preserve a technology that most Americans rarely use for entertainment purposes — but the emergency management argument behind the mandate is actually substantive. AM radio is a critical part of the Emergency Alert System, the national infrastructure that delivers emergency warnings for weather events, AMBER alerts, and national security emergencies. Unlike digital broadcasting, cellular networks, or internet-based information systems, AM radio works even when power grids are down and cellular infrastructure is overwhelmed — exactly the conditions that accompany the worst disasters.
FEMA and emergency management officials have been vocal advocates for preserving AM radio capability in vehicles, arguing that in a major disaster scenario, a car with a working AM receiver may be the only functioning information channel available to survivors who have lost power and cell service. The vehicle’s 12-volt system provides power independent of the grid, and AM radio’s long-range, interference-resistant propagation makes it one of the most reliable communication tools in emergencies.
The automotive industry’s objection to the mandate is predictable: adding components to address AM interference in EVs adds cost and complexity. The engineering solutions that would allow AM to coexist with EV powertrains exist but aren’t free. A federal mandate forces that cost onto all manufacturers rather than allowing each to make the cost-benefit calculation independently.
The policy argument for the mandate is that emergency communication infrastructure shouldn’t be subject to consumer preference signals in the market. If AM radio serves a critical public safety function, ensuring its availability in the largest mobile platform in American life — personal vehicles — is a reasonable public interest requirement, even if it costs something to implement.