Electric cars come with a few downsides, including those that involve range, charging and other adjustments to a driver's way of life.
However, due to the built-in technical issues of EVs, certain adjustments might become more drastic in the years to come.
Related: Ex-Ford CEO warns of fierce challenge ahead for electric vehicles
A new report by the Center for Automotive Research and the Alliance for Automotive Innovation (CAR) found that keeping AM radio in new vehicles, especially EVs, could cost automakers billions of dollars by the end of the decade.
According to the report, automakers could face a cumulative cost of up to $3.8 billion to address the problem of electromagnetic interference that can distort AM radio signals in EVs.
Automakers have not been able to completely eliminate said interference, but they have found ways to reduce it by shielding cables, installing interference filters and active noise cancellation, as well as strategically placing components to act as a physical shield against interference.
However, these added components add weight to the vehicle, affecting both battery range and the cost to the consumer. One manufacturer told CAR researchers that said cable shielding to cost between $35-$50 per car and interference filters to cost an extra $15-$20.
Though these do sound like small numbers, the large scale that many automakers plan to produce EVs at will makes this an expensive compromise, and as a result, CAR researchers recommend removing AM radios in future and providing buyers with "alternative products for in-vehicle audio content."
More Business of EVs:
- A full list of EVs and hybrids that qualify for federal tax credits
- Here’s why EV experts are flaming Joe Biden’s car policy
- The EV industry is facing an unusual new problem
This news comes as a bipartisan effort in Congress called the AM Radio for Every Vehicle Act has made waves on the hill. This bill would direct the U.S. Transportation Department to issue a rule requiring automakers to keep AM radio receivers in new vehicles as standard equipment.
Currently, at least seven manufacturers - BMW BMWYY, Mazda MZDAF, Polestar, Rivian RIVN, Tesla TSLA, Volkswagen VLKAF and Volvo, do not offer AM radio in their EVs because of electromagnetic interference that can affect the reception of AM radio signals.
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