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AM radio outlasts 8-tracks, cassettes, and compact discs as a way to deliver audio content to your car. This first generation radio broadcasting technology dates back to the dawn of the last century and was superseded by FM. FM has better sound fidelity and is less susceptible to interference.
But good old amplitude modulation, at least as far as the next Ford Mustang is concerned, joins these glossy CDs and twisted tapes in the scrap pile of history. According to Ford Authority, the 2024 Mustang won’t have an AM radio feature when it goes on sale this summer.
This makes it the second time Ford has made this old-fashioned broadcast option unavailable. After putting it in its first F-150 Lightning electric pickup truck for model year 2022, Ford is phasing out AM after 2023. Other electric vehicles have specifically done away with AM radios. Tesla stopped including his AM radio in new cars in 2018, as did BMW’s i3 city car, citing possible electromagnetic interference (EMI) from its EV powertrain. (AM radio is a feature of many other EVs, so this explanation is unconvincing.)
These moves have not been widely accepted. Last year, the former Director of the Federal Emergency Management Agency and US Senator Ed Markey (D-Massachusetts) called on the automaker to keep his AM radio. AM radio plays no part in many of our lives, but some people still use it to listen to sports or talk radio. We also learned last year that the FCC Commissioner rejected calls to reassign AM radio spectrum.
Senator Markey also added BMW, Ford General Motors, Honda Motors, Hyundai, Jaguar Land Rover, Kia, Lucid, Mazda, Mercedes-Benz, Mitsubishi, Nissan, Polestar, Rivian, Stellantis, Subaru, Tesla, We asked Toyota and the Volkswagen Group. , and Volvo explains whether he dropped the AM from the vehicle. He also discusses future plans to phase out AM or FM, why he phased out AM, what steps these companies have taken to protect his AM radio receivers from EMI, and what companies have done to prevent free digital broadcasting in cars. I also wanted to know if they offer radio.
It’s unclear why Ford dropped AM radio from the next Mustang, but it’s not due to EMI from the electric powertrain, as the next Mustang won’t be electrified.
