US House Passes Bill Mandating AM Radio in Every New Car, EVs Included

The U.S. House of Representatives has advanced legislation that would require AM radio to be fitted in every new car sold nationwide, and electric vehicles would not be exempt from the rule. The bill cleared the chamber this week, moving the long-running dispute between broadcasters and automakers into a new phase.

The debate centers on a feature that has quietly disappeared from many modern dashboards. Because electric drivetrains generate electromagnetic interference that can degrade AM reception, several manufacturers have dropped the band from their EVs entirely rather than engineer around it. That decision drew pushback from radio broadcasters and emergency-management advocates, who argue AM remains a vital link for public warnings when cell networks fail.

Car companies, for their part, have warned that adding the hardware back would mean extra cost, weight and packaging work, especially on battery-electric platforms. A handful of automakers had already reversed course and reinstated AM in some models before the vote, in what looked like a bid to defuse the issue.

The bill still needs to clear the Senate and be signed into law before any of this becomes binding on manufacturers.