1 of 1- RadioActive
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Could The U.S. Gov't. Force Electric Car Makers To Keep AM Radios?
You have to have seatbelts in a car. And you can't drive without insurance. Is it possible a government could actually force automakers to keep AM radios in all electric vehicles, even if they have to get around the issue of battery interference?
It's not likely for now, but it's certainly possible that it could happen. In addition to angry letters from several high-powered politicians in the U.S. arguing AM is essential in a disaster situation, several former members of the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) have also sent missives to the makers, arguing Americans must have access to the band in the event of some unforeseen weather wallop, attack or other mishap, like that train derailment and toxic fire in Ohio.
There's no talk yet of trying to force companies like Tesla and Ford to include the mono-only band in their EVs, but from the tone of the correspondence, you have to wonder if it might be coming, you should pardon the expression, down the road.
And since our industries are so tied together, if they forced it in the States, I can't see how Canada wouldn't follow suit.
"The argument for having AM radio in cars to use in emergencies is reason enough to keep it, perhaps even require it, in the same way that the government requires new cars sold in America to have other basic safety features. Reliable communications in an emergency? Seems like a nice thing to have."
Every Car Should Have an AM Radio
- Johnny B
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Re: Could The U.S. Gov't. Force Electric Car Makers To Keep AM Radios?
'...Several former federal emergency officials have written to Secretary of Transportation Pete Buttigieg warning of the potential consequences of AM radio's discontinuation in new cars. They advise that by dropping the radios, drivers could be unreachable during times of local or national crisis.New cars, particularly electric vehicles, have begun to phase out AM radio receivers over the last decade or so. As of last summer, those abandoning the technology mostly encompassed European makes, which cited compromised audio quality as the reason for AM's elimination. (It's likely that may have been caused by radio listening habits in Europe.)...'