U-S Lawmaker Proposes Warning Stickers For EVs Without AM Radio

U.S. Congressman Josh Gottheimer (NJ-5) has announced new action to protect AM radio in electric vehicles and ensure potential buyers know which cars and trucks have AM radio and those that don’t. 

Car manufacturers, like Elon Musk’s Tesla, have said they will cut AM radio from their new production vehicles — threatening the 47 million Americans who listen to AM radio, who represent around 20% of the radio-listening public, and putting public safety and national emergency management at risk.

Gottheimer’s New action to protect AM radio:

• First, Gottheimer sent a letter to the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration, urging them to require auto manufacturers that exclude AM radio reception from their motor vehicles to display a safety warning in the car’s window sticker.The warning should read: “Warning: No AM Radio. Vehicle Unsafe in Certain Emergencies.”
• Second, Gottheimer is leading the bipartisan, bicameral law, AM Radio for Every Vehicle Act. This bill will require auto manufacturers to keep AM radio in vehicles, without charging customers extra for it.

Gottheimer announced that the AM Radio for Every Vehicle Act is one of the most widely supported bills in this Congress, with 200 bipartisan cosponsors in the House and 40 in the Senate.It also has the support of dozens of organizations from across the country, including the National Association of Broadcasters, AARP, the National Emergency Management Association, the National Association of Farm Broadcasting, and many more.

“Buying a car without AM radio is like buying a car without an emergency parking brake. You may not use it every day, but you’ll be glad you have it if your brakes ever go out,” said Congressman Josh Gottheimer (NJ-5). “I would think that if Elon Musk has enough money to buy Twitter and send rockets to space, he can afford to include AM radio in his Teslas.”