Automakers that have dropped AM receivers face a legal requirement to restore them after the U.S. House passed the AM Radio for Every Vehicle Act. The measure would force manufacturers to include AM radio capability in every vehicle made or sold in the United States if it clears the Senate and receives the president’s signature.
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Supporters point to the persistence of AM broadcasting and its role in emergencies. The Federal Communications Commission counts more than 4300 active AM radio stations, and Nielsen reports say more than 80 million Americans listen to AM radio every month, roughly 23 percent of the U.S. population. Lawmakers backing the bill argue that AM remains a reliable way to get information to rural communities and to drivers when internet and cellular networks are unavailable.
Many automakers have reduced or eliminated AM from electric vehicles in recent years, citing interference from electric motors that can jam AM reception. Tesla removed AM in 2018, BMW has not offered it across its electric lineup that began with the i3 in 2013, and manufacturers including Mazda, Volkswagen, and Rivian also omit the feature. Some companies still include AM in at least some EV models, and Toyota, Chevrolet, and Ford are among those that offer it in some vehicles. Ford briefly announced plans to drop AM from all models for the 2024 model year but reversed that after the bill was introduced in May 2023.
The Congressional Budget Office estimates the policy would affect roughly 2 to 2.5 million vehicles annually. The CBO said updating the radio hardware would be a relatively small cost since many models already include FM functions, but it flagged uncertainty about how much manufacturers would need to spend to counter AM interference from electric drivetrains. If enacted, the CBO projects the federal government would incur about $1 million in costs over five years.
The bill won bipartisan support in the House, but passage there is only the next step. For the requirement to become binding, the Senate must approve the legislation and the president must sign it into law. Until then, the automotive industry’s choices on AM remain subject to change.
