For nearly 100 years, motorists have been listening to AM radio, an American organization that keeps up to date with news, traffic, weather, sports, and more.
But that dashboard staple will likely replace hand-cranked windows and car ashtrays as electric vehicles begin to dominate the US market more.
A growing number of electric vehicle models have phased out the AM station in what broadcasters call a worrying change that could trouble stations and deprive drivers of a vital source of information in the event of an emergency. emergency.
Automakers say electric vehicles generate more electromagnetic interference than gasoline-powered vehicles, which can disrupt AM signal reception and cause static electricity, noise, and frequency hum. high number. (The FM signal is more resistant to interference.)
“Instead of disappointing customers with poor reception and noise, the decision was made to remove it from vehicles with eDrive technology,” BMW said in a statement, referring to the system. provide power for the company’s electric vehicles.
TeslaAccording to the automakers and the National Association of Broadcasters, Audi, Porsche and Volvo have also removed AM radio from their electric vehicles, just as Volkswagen has removed from its ID.4 electric SUV. Ford says the 2023 F-150 Lightning, its popular vehicle electric pickup truckwill also give up AM radio.
Some experts say that reception problems are not insurmountable. Pooja Nair, communications systems engineer at entertainment technology company Xperi Inc., which owns HD Radio technology, says electromagnetic interference can be controlled with shielding cables, filters and careful placement. kidney of the electrical parts in the vehicle.
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But such changes require money and effort, and it’s unclear if automakers are willing to spend more to cater to AM radio fans. The Drive, a car news website has trend reportnote that AM radio has fallen out of favor in Europe, so automakers there may find it less necessary to keep it.
If more trams ditch the AM station, some broadcasters say they could lose connection with their core audience.
“It’s a killer for us because most of our audience is listening to our morning drive and afternoon drive, when people go to work and come home from work — and if we’re not there in our car, them, then we do not exist,” said January Ronexecutive director at WATV-AM, an adult contemporary radio station in Birmingham, Ala.
About 47 million Americans listen to AM radio, about 20 percent of the radio listening public, according to the Nielsen Company, which tracks media. AM listeners tend to be older than other radio listeners (about a third over the age of 65), and the amount of time they spend listening to AM has increased slightly over the past five years, to just over two hours a day, according to the report. Nielsen report.
Although some AM stations have translators that send duplicate broadcasts over FM radio, AM signals travel farther and reach more people. AM stations can also be less expensive than FM stations to operate, allowing some to offer programming geared toward specific religious, cultural, or community communities.
Brian Winnekins, owner of WRDN in Durand, Wis., which has seven hours of farm-related programming available every day of the week on AM and FM, said he urged listeners to speak to umbrella manufacturers. I did not abandon AM, noting that it can reach farmers in remote areas.
“If you can make a car self-driving,” Mr. Winnekins said, referring to driver-assistance systems in Teslas and other vehicles, “you can make a good radio receiver.”
Nola Daves Moses, distribution director for Native Voice One, which distributes Native American radio programs, including some in native languages, said she hopes that more Americans will convert to use electric vehicles.
But “if radios were to disappear from cars, that would be really devastating,” she said. “Is this the first step? FM is next?
In a letter to 20 automakers published on December 1, Senator Edward J. Markey, Democrat of Massachusetts, asked them to keep the AM radio in the tramdescribe it as a matter of public safety.
“Despite innovations such as smartphones and social media, AM/FM radio remains the most reliable, free and accessible communication mechanism for officials,” Mr. Markey wrote. the state communicates with the public in times of emergency”. “As a result, any period of AM outages can cause serious communication problems in the event of an emergency.”
Many AM broadcasters say their broadcasts are the fastest way for motorists to know about tornadoes, flash floods and other extreme weather. During Hurricane Katrina and other natural disasters, the station conveys vital information about rescue and recovery efforts, said Diane Newman, executive and brand manager at WWL in New Orleans.
“There is no Wi-Fi; there’s no phone connection,” Newman said, adding, “You take away the AM radio in the car and you take away a lifeline, a connection when the community needs you most.”
The automakers note that motorists will still be able to play AM radio on apps, and not all electric vehicles will drop it. Hyundai, which makes electric vehicles, said in a statement that it has no plans to phase out the AM radio. And some observers say the threat posed by electric vehicles may be overblown.
“The challenge to AM’s survival may be related to a broader demographic than to the automobile,” said Michael Stamm, a cultural historian at Michigan State University who studies communications. “Are young people interested in AM, in the car or otherwise?”
Not all young drivers are away from AM radio.
“AM is where you get the information,” says Alex Cardenas-Acosta, 34, a Saab driver who works at an auto repair shop in Union, NJ. Like many gasoline-powered drivers, he didn’t know that some electric cars had dropped AM radios. Mr Cardenas-Acosta said he listened to the Mets on the line.
“I don’t think it should be taken away,” he said. “If you want to find something serious, instead of all the crap they have on FM, you turn on AM.”
Outside a Tesla dealership in Springfield, NJ, several Tesla owners said they weren’t too bothered by the lack of AM radio. The company started phasing it out a few years ago, leading to a 2018 headline in The Wall Street Journal“Your Tesla can go from 0 to 60 in 2.5 seconds but can’t get AM radio.”
Brandon Utrera, 27, said he didn’t notice that the Tesla Model Y he bought five days earlier had no AM radio. “The only time I really listened to AM was when the Yankees played,” he said.
Mr. Utrera said his parents listen to it more than he does, although he doesn’t remember the radio. “It’s for old-timers,” he said.
