In a future filled with electric cars, AM radio could be left behind
Automakers claim EMI causes static and noise on AM transmissions, which annoys customers. Broadcasters say they could lose connection with their primary listeners, who rely on radio in an emergency.
For nearly 100 years, drivers have been listening AM radio, an American institution crackling with news, traffic, weather, sports, and an eclectic variety of other programming.
But this element Dashboard basics could take over manual crank windows and car ashtrays as electric vehicles begin to take over more of the US market.
A growing number of electric models have ditched AM radio in what broadcasters are calling a worrying change that could spell trouble and deprive drivers of a crucial source of information in an emergency.
Automotive manufacturers biles claim that electric vehicles generate more electromagnetic interference than gas-powered cars, which can disrupt the reception of AM signals and cause static, noise and high-frequency hum. (FM signals are more resilient to such interference.)
"Rather than frustrate customers with inferior reception and noise, the decision was made to only not use them on vehicles equipped with eDrive technology. BMW said in a statement, referring to the system that powers its electric vehicles.
Tesla, Audi, Porsche and Volvo have also removed AM radio from their vehicles electric, as is Volkswagen of its electric SUV, ID.4, according to automakers and the National Association of Broadcasters. Ford said the 2023 F-150 Lightning, its popular electric pickup truck, will also drop AM radio.
Some experts say reception issues aren't insurmountable. EMI could be controlled with shielding cables, filters and careful placement of electrical components in the vehicle, said Pooja Nair, a communications systems engineer at entertainment technology company Xperi Inc., which owns the technology. HD Radio.
But such changes take money and effort, and it's unclear whether automakers are willing to spend more on servicing AM radio fans. The Drive, an automotive news site that reported on the trend, noted that AM radio has fallen out of favor in Europe, so automakers may see less need to retain it.
< p class="css-at9mc1 evys1bk0 ">If more electric vehicles drop AM radio, some broadcasters say they could lose connection with their primary listeners."It's a killer for us because most of our listeners are in the morning commute and the afternoon commute, when people go to work and come back from work - and if we're not there in their car, we're non-existent," said Ron January, operations director at WATV-AM, an adult contemporary station in Birmingham, Ala.
About 47 million Americans listen AM radio, which accounts for about 20 percent of the public who listen to radio, according to Nielsen Company, the media monitoring company. AM listeners tend to be older than other radio listeners (around...
Automakers claim EMI causes static and noise on AM transmissions, which annoys customers. Broadcasters say they could lose connection with their primary listeners, who rely on radio in an emergency.
For nearly 100 years, drivers have been listening AM radio, an American institution crackling with news, traffic, weather, sports, and an eclectic variety of other programming.
But this element Dashboard basics could take over manual crank windows and car ashtrays as electric vehicles begin to take over more of the US market.
A growing number of electric models have ditched AM radio in what broadcasters are calling a worrying change that could spell trouble and deprive drivers of a crucial source of information in an emergency.
Automotive manufacturers biles claim that electric vehicles generate more electromagnetic interference than gas-powered cars, which can disrupt the reception of AM signals and cause static, noise and high-frequency hum. (FM signals are more resilient to such interference.)
"Rather than frustrate customers with inferior reception and noise, the decision was made to only not use them on vehicles equipped with eDrive technology. BMW said in a statement, referring to the system that powers its electric vehicles.
Tesla, Audi, Porsche and Volvo have also removed AM radio from their vehicles electric, as is Volkswagen of its electric SUV, ID.4, according to automakers and the National Association of Broadcasters. Ford said the 2023 F-150 Lightning, its popular electric pickup truck, will also drop AM radio.
Some experts say reception issues aren't insurmountable. EMI could be controlled with shielding cables, filters and careful placement of electrical components in the vehicle, said Pooja Nair, a communications systems engineer at entertainment technology company Xperi Inc., which owns the technology. HD Radio.
But such changes take money and effort, and it's unclear whether automakers are willing to spend more on servicing AM radio fans. The Drive, an automotive news site that reported on the trend, noted that AM radio has fallen out of favor in Europe, so automakers may see less need to retain it.
< p class="css-at9mc1 evys1bk0 ">If more electric vehicles drop AM radio, some broadcasters say they could lose connection with their primary listeners."It's a killer for us because most of our listeners are in the morning commute and the afternoon commute, when people go to work and come back from work - and if we're not there in their car, we're non-existent," said Ron January, operations director at WATV-AM, an adult contemporary station in Birmingham, Ala.
About 47 million Americans listen AM radio, which accounts for about 20 percent of the public who listen to radio, according to Nielsen Company, the media monitoring company. AM listeners tend to be older than other radio listeners (around...
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