Electric Car Industry Says Protecting EVs from AM Interference Would Cost $3.8 Billion

It isn’t possible to eliminate the interference to electric vehicles from AM radio, said Alliance for Automotive Innovation CEO John Bozzella in a blog post Monday. The techniques for shielding EVs from AM interference add weight to the cars, reduce their range and increase costs to consumers, said the blog post. According to an October Center for Automotive Research report, reducing interference would cost $3.8 billion over the next seven years. Mandating AM in vehicles is not required for public safety, not popular with consumers “and now we know: not cheap," said the post. "It is noteworthy that the impartial Congressional Budget Office estimates the AM Radio for Every Vehicle Act would necessitate automakers spend a fraction of their estimate to ensure access to local AM radio stations in electric vehicles," emailed an NAB spokesperson. "We hope automakers follow Ford’s lead in reversing their decision to remove AM radio capability from their vehicles to ensure the 82 million Americans who listen to AM radio have access to this local, free service.”