Debate over mandatory AM radio in cars unites U.S. Democrats and Republicans against electric car makers

AM radio is losing ground in drivers’ routines, but it has returned to the center of the automotive debate in the United States. A bill in progress in the country’s Congress wants to force automakers to install the technology in all new vehicles sold in the country – contrary to manufacturers that have already been eliminating the resource, especially electric cars.

The proposal, called the AM Radio for Every Vehicle Act, was attached to a transportation infrastructure package that has the support of both the Democratic and Republican parties and can be voted on until September 30. More interesting than the procedure, however, is the dispute behind it.

What is the interest in AM radio?

On one side is the broadcasting industry. The National Association of Broadcasters (NAB), the entity that represents American broadcasters, leads the campaign for mandatory mandate, with the endorsement of more than 125 organizations — from former administrators of the Federal Emergency Agency (FEMA) to the AARP retirees’ association. The central argument is that AM is the backbone of the U.S. emergency alert system: 77 stations, most of them in modulated amplitude, receive information directly from the government in disasters and cover 90% of the population. When the power goes out and cellphone networks go down, advocates say, the car radio may be the only source of information for days.

On the other side are the automakers, represented by the Alliance for Automotive Innovation, which brings together Ford, Volkswagen and Toyota, among others. The problem is both technical and financial: the high-voltage systems of electric cars generate electromagnetic interference that degrades the AM signal, and shielding the wiring makes the project more expensive. According to the sector, each receiver can cost up to US$ 70 (about R$ 359), which would add up to US$ 3.8 billion (approximately R$ 19.5 billion) by 2030. Brands such as Ford and Tesla had already started to retire AM in their electric vehicles.

In Brazil, the path is the opposite: instead of saving AM, the country gradually deactivates it. Since decree 8,139, of 2013, mediumwave stations can migrate to FM – and adherence reaches 96% of the 1,781 existing grants. According to the Ministry of Communications, 1,324 radios were already operating in the new band in March 2025, many of them on extended FM (76.1 to 87.3 MHz). Not by chance, car radios manufactured in the country since 2019 are required to tune from 76 to 108 MHz. The official justification for the migration is the same that emptied the dial in the US: loss of audience caused by noise and interference.