Many electric car makers, including Tesla and Volvo, are phasing out AM radio in favour of internet-based services, however the analogue radio format still has a key role during times of emergency.
During Hurricane Helene in North Carolina in September 2024, a local AM radio station kept broadcasting to help emergency services and locals remain connected.
The emergency alert system is also still heavily reliant on AM radio, with 85% of the stations able to deliver alerts being AM stations, due to the format’s reliability during power and internet outages.
The amount of CO2 in the atmosphere is causing the ionosphere to cool, thus diminishing the strength of radio waves, and there are increasing calls for AM radio to remain a default in all vehicles.