Automaker group predicts keeping AM radio in EVs could cost $3.8 billion

Components in an electric vehicle create all kinds of electromagnetic interference (EMI) with the AM signal; such EMI can't be stopped, but can be reduced to a reasonable level with items like shielded cables, component placement, and active noise cancelation. For the past few years, a growing number of carmakers elected to skip the effort by eliminating AM broadcast radio from their EVs. Ford went further, planning to eliminate AM radio in all its cars starting with the 2024 Mustang. In response, a growing number of opponents want AM radio restored. The public battle to save AM heated up late last year when Sen. Ed Markey, D-Mass., wrote a letter asking all automakers to deal with the EM shielding issues and maintain AM radio. Since then, both houses of Congress have drafted bills with bipartisan support that mandate AM radio in EVs. A study from the Center for Automotive Research (CAR), an automaker group, says doing so could cost carmakers $3.8 billion over the next seven years.

An unnamed automaker told CAR researchers that the costs of shielding cables could run from $35 to $50 per vehicle, the costs of filtering could run from $15 to $20. Beyond such costs being passed to consumers, the additional equipment could add weight, which in turn could reduce driving range.