09-07-2025
Congress Set to Require This Old Technology in All New Cars
With a enough support for passage in both the US Senate and US House of Representatives, the AM Radio for Every Vehicle Act looks set to become law.
Supporters have argued that AM radio benefits rural areas, for continuing access to emergency messaging and farm reports.
But the band has largely left the radio dials in many parts of the world, including most of Europe, to little ill effect.
The AM Radio for Every Vehicle Act seems headed for passage, having attained 60 co-sponsors in the US Senate (S.315) and 242 in the US House (where it is H.R. 979). The Senate's Commerce Committee passed the bill in February, and its support in the full Senate is considered filibuster-proof.
With the argument that AM is essential for older Americans, as a conduit for emergency broadcasts, and for farm reports, the bill would require the Department of Transportation (DOT) to issue a rule requiring that cars made in the US or imported here 'have devices that can receive signals and play content transmitted by AM stations or digital audio AM stations installed as standard equipment and made easily accessible to drivers.'
AM is that rare issue that hasn't become much of a political football, and its two main Senate co-sponsors are Senators Ted Cruz (R-TX) and Ed Markey (D-MA). When the bill got its 60th co-sponsor in the upper body, Cruz and Markey said in an April 1 statement, 'From emergency response to sports, entertainment and news, AM radio is a lifeline for tens of millions of Americans.'
The National Association of Broadcasters (NAB) agrees. According to NAB President and CEO Curtis LeGeyt, 'For more than a century, AM radio has been a lifeline, delivering trusted news, local sports, crop reports and emergency information when and where it matters most. From rural communities to urban centers, from first responders to everyday commuters, over 80 million Americans rely on this free, local service to stay informed and safe every month.'
Senator Markey told Autoweek that the bill ensures that AM 'stays standard in every new car, ensuring drivers and passengers have reliable access to emergency alerts when they need them most.
'Tens of millions of Americans have made it clear: They want AM radio in their vehicles, not off the dial. With a filibuster-proof 60 co-sponsors for this bipartisan legislation, I am working aggressively to pass my legislation on the fenate floor and enact it into law.'
President Trump supports the bill, and told the National Religious Broadcasters during the 2024 campaign, 'I will protect the content that is pro-God. To that end, at the request of the NRB, I will do my part to protect AM radio in our cars.' He also said in the speech that Christian broadcasting, a lot of it on AM (120 AM stations are NRB members), is 'under siege.'
Cameron Coats, online editor of the Radio Ink trade magazine, is confident that the bill will get a full Congressional hearing. 'I do think it will come up for a vote this year, though with all the budget issues it's on a bit of a delay,' he told Autoweek. 'And once it does get to the floor, the votes are there. And the President will sign it.'
There'd be no need for such legislation if automakers hadn't started quietly deleting AM from their offerings, and not just in battery EVs (where they claim AM catches electromagnetic interference from the high-voltage electricity).
Carmakers that have removed AM in at least some of their EVs include Tesla, Rivian, Mazda, VW, Volvo, Polestar, and BMW. It was out of the electric BMW i3 as early as 2015. Ford axed AM but then brought it back in 2023. Some Volvo plug-in hybrids have also done away with the band.
AM is been included in electric cars such as the Hyundai Ioniq 5, the Toyota BZ4X, the Subaru Solterra, and both versions of the Chevrolet Bolt. Also AM-positive are Honda, Jaguar Land Rover, Kia, Mitsubishi, Nissan, Stellantis and Subaru.
Eliminating AM is by no means limited to the US. It's already significantly phased out in Europe (where it's called 'medium wave'), including in Austria, Switzerland, Ireland, Germany, Belarus, Albania, and Belgium. AM is still being broadcast in the UK, though the transmitters for BBC 4 on that band were recently shut down across the country. Bauer Media also shut down AM transmitters. AM is holding on in Estonia, Greece, Hungary, Poland, Portugal, Romania, and Spain.
Approximately 40 countries have replaced regular broadcast radio with digital radio (DAB+). As of 2017, 420 million people were within reach of DAB. Australia was an early adopter, as was Germany. Norway shut off national FM broadcasting in 2017. The US has HD Radio, but doesn't use DAB+.
Opposing the US AM radio requirement are the Alliance for Automotive Innovation, representing automakers, the Zero Emission Transportation Association, and two other groups. They said in a joint 2023 letter:
'Emergency alerts are delivered through several overlapping mediums to provide maximum redundancy, and the FCC is working to continue improving the system to service a broader array of Americans during emergencies. Some make the argument that AM radio is necessary for emergency broadcasts, but in such cases FM radio, Internet streaming services, better rural broadband, and text alerts supplement any loss of AM radio access.'
Automakers generally oppose regulation, and EV makers are worried about the interference issue. There's also a cost savings in eliminating AM, though not likely a large one. The mandate, the letter writers said, 'is unnecessary and contrary to the principles of a free-market economy. The requirement would unnecessarily hinder progress in the automotive industry.'
Given the political realities, though, it does look like automakers will have to find a way to include AM on their radio dials, including on EVs.
