Renewed calls to mandate AM radio in cars – also used for emergency alerts in bushfires and floods – as the simple but reliable tech disappears

Authorities and safety experts have renewed calls to make AM radio compulsory in new cars – as a reliable back-up for emergency alerts during bushfires, floods and other natural disasters in remote areas where there is no phone signal – as the number of motor vehicles without the simple but effective technology continues to grow.

The rise in the number of new cars introduced without AM radio – including in Australia – is making headlines overseas and some countries, such as the United States, are proposing the basic but far-reaching technology become mandatory due to its ability to broadcast alerts to people who may be stranded in regional areas where there is no phone signal or internet connection.

An Australian Government report has found AM radio – one of the oldest formats of broadcast technology – still plays a life-saving role for motorists during emergencies and natural disasters because its frequencies can travel further than other forms of communication and from fewer transmission towers.

Some car-makers claim they are removing AM radio in electric vehicles due to the interference caused by electric motors – even though not all electric cars have deleted AM radio.

And there are also a number of petrol and diesel cars currently on sale locally without AM radio.

Tesla, Volvo and Polestar do not offer AM radio across their Australian line-ups, while certain Peugeots (308, 508 and 2008), Citroens (C4, C5 X and C5 Aircross Sport) and Volkswagen Group models (Cupra Born, VW Arteon, T6.1 and Caddy) are also sold locally without the simple-but-effective technology.

In all of the above cases, the decision to drop AM radio appears to be a cost-cutting measure given most similar vehicles from rival brands have retained AM radio capability.

While AM radio is perceived as outdated broadcast technology, it has a much longer range than FM radio – allowing information about life-threatening emergencies and natural disasters to be broadcast across greater distances without interruption. It is especially useful in areas where there is no phone signal, or where a mobile phone signal could easily get cut off.

The Australian Communications and Media Authority (ACMA) – a sub-branch of the Department of Communications – released its report into the future of radio in 2020, following the first instances of AM radio being removed from certain new cars in Australia.

The report – titled ‘The Future Delivery of Radio’ – found AM radio in cars is still essential in Australia, especially for those who live in or are travelling through regional and rural areas.

“AM radio plays a vital role in informing these communities during natural disasters and emergencies,” said the ACMA report. 

“AM broadcasting will continue to play an important role in the delivery of radio in regional and remote Australia for the medium to long term, in areas where other platforms cannot reach.

“In-vehicle listening is particularly important in regional and remote Australia, with long-driving distances between population centres and the reliance on radio for emergency information.

“While technologies that deliver radio to fixed addresses are apparent, new digital delivery technologies will be needed to fill the ‘reception gap’ between major towns currently filled by AM transmissions.”

Earlier this month, US senators introduced proposed legislation to mandate the broadcast technology in all new cars, which The Verge reports received bipartisan support.

This prompted Ford CEO Jim Farley to announce the car-maker would back-track on its decision to remove AM radio from its new vehicles in the US – such as the F-150 Lightning electric truck and new Mustang muscle car – after meeting with law-makers.

While Mr Farley promoted digital radio and streaming services as an alternative to AM radio, the modern broadcast tech is less reliable in the event of a natural disaster as they require clearer and closer coverage than the older broadcast system.

Ford will also roll out a software update to vehicles in the US which were not equipped with the ability to receive AM radio during production, now allowing them to use the technology.

A spokesperson for Ford Australia told Drive the new Mustang was always intended to be sold locally with AM radio, despite the initial plan to drop the feature in the US.

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