Electric Vehicles Need AM Radio, Former Emergency Officials Argue

Ex-FEMA heads say band is important in emergencies, but auto makers note signal interference

Auto makers including Ford, the maker of the F-150 Lightning, have dropped AM radio from newer EV models.Photo: Michael Nagle/Bloomberg News

The lack of AM radio in some new electric vehicles could cut off drivers from important safety alerts broadcast over the medium, warned a group of former emergency officials in a letter Sunday.

Auto makers such as Ford Motor Co. and Tesla Inc. have dropped AM radio from newer EV models. Car companies say the motors on such vehicles generate electromagnetic frequencies on the same wavelength as AM radio signals, creating buzzing and signal fading from the interference. 

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