The 2024 Mustang Won't Have an AM Radio

According to a build sheet shared to Mustang 7G and a comment from a Ford official to The Drive, the 2024 Ford Mustang will not come with an AM radio receiver. The Mustang is the second new Ford product to drop AM radio, joining the F-150 Lighting.

On many EVs, AM radios are removed because the signal is disrupted by electromagnetic interference produced by the cars. This explains Ford's choice to remove the option on the Lightning, but the company tells The Drive that this decision is tied to a "modernizing" effort that prioritizes streaming, FM signal, and digital media.

This is a concern for both existing AM radio stations and government officials. According to the New York Times, AM stations travel further and can be less expensive to operate than equivalent FM stations. That makes them vital for both niche interest radio and radio that can be reliably found in more remote parts of the country. The latter benefit is particularly important to the U.S. government; in a letter urging automakers to keep AM radio in cars, Massachusetts Senator Ed Markey called AM radio "the most dependable, cost-free, and accessible communication mechanism for public officials to communicate with the public during times of emergency."