A House committee has voted overwhelmingly to approve a bill that would require new cars to be built with AM radios at no additional cost to the owner. AM Law for Every Vehicle The bill will now head to the House of Representatives for final approval. If successful, it will go to the president’s desk to be signed into law, pending veto.
Advocates of the bill have argued that the decline of AM radio, a result of software-defined vehicles, could make it difficult to broadcast emergency information, especially in rural areas. The bill was first introduced in May 2023 after automakers including Ford, Tesla, BMW and Volkswagen promised to remove AM radio from new electric vehicles, saying electric motors could interfere with the sound of AM radio stations.
Ford reversed its decision shortly after lawmakers introduced the bill. At the time, Ford told TechCrunch that less than 5% of its customers listen to AM radio.