Ford Motor Co F has reversed course on AM radio in their vehicles. Under pressure from lawmakers, the company has decided to include AM radio in all 2024 Ford and Lincoln Motor models.
What Happened: In a tweet, CEO Jim Farley announced the company's decision to reverse from their earlier stance of launching vehicles without AM radio capabilities.
Instead, he said, every 2024 Ford and Lincoln vehicle will possess the ability to tune in to AM radio.
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Farley said the company arrived at the decision "after speaking with policy leaders about the importance of AM broadcast radio as a part of the emergency alert system."
"For any owners of Ford EVs without AM broadcast capability, we'll offer a software update," he added.
Automakers perceive AM radio as outdated and believe that alternative technologies such as internet streaming, HD radio on FM bands, and various apps can compensate for its absence in vehicles.
However, Farley has expressed his commitment to exploring these new technologies. He said, "Customers can currently listen to AM radio content in a variety of ways in our vehicles – including via streaming – and we will continue to innovate to deliver even better in-vehicle entertainment and emergency notification options in the future."
Why It Matters: Automakers have been excluding AM radio from their electric vehicles due to concerns about potential electromagnetic interference with the EV powertrain.
Apart from Ford, several prominent automakers, such as Elon Musk-led Tesla, BWW, Mazda, Rivian, Volkswagen and Volvo have already removed AM radios from their vehicle models.
As a result, a bill was introduced by a bipartisan coalition of federal lawmakers last week, urging the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration to mandate the inclusion of AM radio in new vehicles without any extra charges. They have argued that AM radio has, in the past, played a significant role in transmitting essential information during emergencies, specifically to rural regions.
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