US House of Representatives votes to require AM radio in all new cars

You might not have noticed if you spend your time listening to SiriusXM or podcasts, but AM radio has been slowly disappearing from new passenger vehicles in recent years. That trend just hit a sizable roadblock in Washington; on Tuesday, the U.S. House of Representatives passed legislation that would require automakers to install AM receivers as standard equipment in new cars, trucks, SUVs and so forth. Better still for anyone who listens to it, manufacturers couldn’t hide access behind an option package or subscription.

However, AM hasn’t been saved just yet, in case you forgot your Schoolhouse Rock! The House approved the bipartisan AM Radio for Every Vehicle Act by voice vote on September 15. The measure now heads to the Senate, where companion legislation has already cleared the Commerce Committee and attracted 60 cosponsors. That gives supporters reason to feel optimistic, but it isn’t a done deal; the Senate still needs to vote on the bill, both chambers must agree on identical language, and President Donald Trump would then have to sign it.

Even if that happens quickly, AM radio won’t immediately return to every dashboard. The bill gives the Department of Transportation one year to write the rule and up to another two before it takes effect for major manufacturers. Companies that built no more than 40,000 passenger vehicles for the U.S. market in 2022 would receive at least four years to comply. During the transition, automakers selling vehicles without AM reception would have to clearly disclose its absence; they would also be barred from charging buyers an additional fee to access AM programming.

Why has amplitude modulation broadcasting fallen out of vogue with carmakers recently? Well, manufacturers argue that electric motors and other high-voltage components can interfere with AM signals. They say it produces unwanted static unless additional shielding and filtering are installed.

The Alliance for Automotive Innovation, a lobby organization for several automakers, has opposed the mandate, too. It argues that drivers can already receive emergency alerts through phones, satellite radio, FM stations, and internet-connected services. An industry-backed analysis reportedly estimated that mitigating AM interference across new EVs could cost billions.

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