When BMW introduced power i3 city car, which is a wild departure from what you see in the rest of the lineup. And not just because it runs on batteries. While it offers a surprisingly enjoyable driving experience and an optional range extender for owners who need more range, for one thing it are not really stand out offer: AM radio. Now other automakers are or are considering following suit, and the US Senator Ed Markey is not happy about that.
Like live mass reportMarkey wrote a letter to 20 automakers, which you can download here, asking them to continue providing AM radio on future vehicles. But it’s not because he’s desperate to make sure he always has access to the deranged ramblings of some lunatic on the radio. That’s because he’s worried about how cars without AM radios will affect emergency communications.
“Despite innovations such as smartphones and social media, AM/FM radio remains the most reliable, free and accessible communication mechanism for public officials to contact contact the public during times of emergency. As a result, any period of AM outages can cause serious communication problems in an emergency,” Markey wrote.
He also stated:
Before the COVID-19 pandemic, nearly 90 percent of Americans 12 and older — hundreds of millions in total — listened to AM or FM radio each week, 1 percent higher than the percentage who watched television (56 percent) or own a computer (77 percent). Forty-seven percent of Americans get their news from the radio, and tens of millions more listen to music. Cars remain a major channel through which consumers listen to radio, with 89% of potential car buyers in the United States saying that a radio tuner should be standard on every car. Additionally, 33% of new car buyers say AM radio is a very important feature in their vehicle — higher than dedicated Wi-Fi (31%), SiriusXM satellite radio (27%) and personal assistants.
As someone who can’t remember the last time they listened to AM or FM radio, except when I was forced to take an Uber or Lyft, those claims sound suspiciously high. But to his credit, Markey cited his sources, including this Pew Research poll. Question the method if you want, but at least we know he doesn’t just pull numbers out of thin air.
And while it may be disappointing for fans of AM radio, there’s actually a good reason for automakers to remove it from their cars, especially their electric vehicles. Autoweek report that the motors generate electromagnetic interference that interferes with AM radio waves. Ford even said Autoweek that although initially offered the F-150 Lightning with AM radio, it was dropped.
According to the spokesperson, “While we already have AM on our EVs, it’s really being phased out for Lightning… The frequencies associated with AM radio tend to be directly affected by noise. solenoid in EV propulsion system. More investment is required to make AM work in EVs and quality may suffer as well.”
Automakers are also less committed to putting AM radio in their cars because apps like TuneIn allow owners to still listen to their favorite radio stations over their phone’s data connection. In fact, a BMW spokesperson suggested it by name when commenting on the lack of AM radio in the i4, iX and i7 EV, saying: “If customers want to listen to AM radio, they can choose to do so. . through services like TuneIn and connect/play them directly via Apple CarPlay or Android Auto through the car’s speaker system.”
Markey doesn’t appear to be satisfied with applications to replace actual AM radio and has asked automakers to answer a few questions in his letter by December 22. Those companies include BMW, Ford, General Motors, HondaHyundai, Jaguar Land Rover, Kia, Lucid, Mazda, Mercedes-Benz, Mitsubishi, Nissan, Polestar, Rivian, Stellantis, Subaru, Tesla, Toyota, Volkswagen Group and Volvo.
