Electric vehicle makers are threatening public safety
Electric vehicles are more popular than ever before among consumers. Today, there are an estimated 2.5 million EVs on American roads, and the excitement of EVs’ potential has infected certain policymakers, who want to decree that EVs be the only permissible vehicles within their borders.
But the EV growth picture is not all rosy: Some automobile manufacturers of these vehicles are turning back the dial in a way that could affect public safety. A select group of EV producers is eliminating AM radio from new vehicles. While there may very well be unspoken competitive reasons or financial deals in the mix, the company line given is that AM radio is incompatible with an electromagnetic interference generated from electric engines, creating an audible buzzing sound. Instead of trying to fix the issue, which several automakers have accomplished at an infinitesimal cost, at least eight manufacturers have decided to purge AM radio from the consoles of their EV models altogether.
AM radio has a long and distinguished place in communications history. For almost 130 years, it has informed and entertained listeners during some of the most crucial and important moments in time. Despite other technological advances, AM radio still feeds a vital population with insightful programming. Given its propagation characteristics, it can often travel great distances at low cost, reaching more sparsely populated areas of our nation. Like radio generally, AM radio can be most popular for listeners on the go during travel, commutes, and work when there are no other viable options. And AM stations often serve as a point of entry for new owners and managers, especially minorities.
Dumping AM radio devices from EVs eliminates an important form of communication that the public can use during times of emergency. The federal emergency alert system, for example, relies on AM radio to communicate with the public, and the Federal Communications Commission, my former agency, has gone to great lengths over multiple years to strengthen and fortify this system. Just last year, it finalized a yearlong rulemaking process to expand access and add clarity to emergency messages. When a blizzard, hurricane, or other event knocks out the internet and television signals, the public can still rely on the emergency alert system to stay informed — in large part due to how resilient its AM signals are.
Many know this from their own experiences. When Hurricane Sandy demolished the Northeast in 2012, thousands frantically tuned into AM radio. The New York Times reported that more than 1 million people were listening to the radio during any 15-minute interval during that crisis. Similarly, the Washington Post detailed how locals in New Orleans found a “source of hope” in local radio stations when Hurricane Ida took their state by storm in 2021.
On this point, seven former FEMA officials signed a letter decrying many EV makers’ decision to remove AM radio from their vehicles. The letter warns that if more EV producers scrap AM radio, “it will represent a grave threat to future local, state, and federal disaster response and relief efforts.” In a statement, Antwane Johnson, director of FEMA’s Integrated Public Alert and Warning System, agreed with the letter’s sentiment, adding, “AM radio has been tested over and over during the most devastating natural disasters — and has withstood them all.”
Likewise, FCC Commissioner Nathan Simington pleaded with EV makers to stop interfering with the emergency alert system. In a recent press release , the commissioner “[applauded] the statement by FEMA leaders on the importance of AM radio for disaster response” and “underscore[d] and affirm[ed] their concerns in the strongest possible terms.” He also emphasized how much rural communities “depend upon AM radio for information about emergencies, particularly alerts about weather,” and stressed the importance of not leaving these people behind.
To be clear, I reject the notion of government mandates as a way to force AM radio installation in EVs. Indeed, 10 EV automakers, including Nissan, Honda, and Toyota, have voluntarily retained AM radio after successfully suppressing any problematic noise from their electric vehicles when paired with AM radio devices. A cheap and easy fix, less than $100 in a $50,000 to $100,000 vehicle, is equally obtainable for Ford, Tesla, and the rest; they just need to commit to making it.
Unfortunately, the public continues to hear static emanating from these corporate auto executives, who would prefer to abandon AM than address the problem. If these people genuinely care about public safety as purported, they will make the necessary adjustments to protect the citizenry before real harm occurs.
Michael O’Rielly served as a commissioner for the Federal Communications Commission under President Donald Trump.
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