CEO Jim Farley says the choice got here after discussing the difficulty with “coverage leaders” who had raised issues about drivers dropping entry to the federal authorities’s emergency alert system. The Federal Emergency Administration Company’s Nationwide Public Warning System makes use of the AM band to speak in a disaster due to its nationwide attain.

After talking with coverage leaders concerning the significance of AM broadcast radio as part of the emergency alert system, we have determined to incorporate it on all 2024 @Ford & @LincolnMotorCo automobiles. For any homeowners of Ford EVs with out AM broadcast functionality, we’ll provide a software program…

— Jim Farley (@jimfarley98) Might 23, 2023

Ford is one in all a number of automakers which have dropped AM radio from some new automobiles.

Most producers which have eliminated the radio band say they did so as a result of the electrical motors present in electrical automobiles (EVs) and hybrids can intervene with AM alerts, sticking listeners with staticky, low-quality sound.

However Ford had additionally eliminated AM radio from some automobiles that don’t use electrical motors, together with the upcoming 2024 Mustang. Different automakers have discovered methods round the issue.

The Hyundai Ioniq 5, Toyota bZ4X, Subaru Solterra, and Chevrolet Bolt EV and EUV all include an AM receiver as customary gear. These automobiles use cable shielding or cautious placement of wires to get round the issue of electromagnetic interference.

Farley’s announcement says Ford will add AM performance to already-sold automobiles that lack it. Which will trace at one other resolution. Ford isn’t putting in AM receivers in automobiles constructed with out them. So the corporate could also be planning to make use of digital streaming of AM channels to offer AM radio with out the chance of interference.

Whereas Ford has reversed course, BMW and Tesla proceed to supply EVs with out AM radio entry.