According to Leftlane, Ford has created new technology that will improve the FM radio signal and will debut it in 2017 Escape and Fusion vehicles. Ford’s dual radio reception requires a second receiver that uses the rear window heater as a supplementary antenna. The radio can then analyze the signal from both antennas, providing distinction between two signals that may be overlapping on the same frequency. Ford claims to be one of the first automakers to implement such technology with support for HD Radio.
In a statement Ford said, “A second antenna and receiver reduces interference from the same radio signal when it is received twice – especially prevalent in cities and mountainous areas, where radio signals tend to bounce around the landscape. The result is longer, clearer radio listening.” Leftlane says Ford conducted a 4,200-mile road trip to test radio signals in cities across the US, allowing engineers to verify that the technology succeeds in maintaining higher audio quality in the ‘middle zones.’
