
On Inauguration Day, President Donald Trump signed an executive order revoking Biden-era electric vehicle targets, a move that could influence the ongoing debate over AM radio in vehicle dashboards – particularly as EV makers have used related challenges to justify removing the band.
President Joe Biden’s original 2021 directive aimed to have EVs make up 50% of new car sales by 2030. Trump’s new order not only rescinds this non-binding target but also halts unspent federal funding for EV charging infrastructure and directs the Environmental Protection Agency to revoke California’s waiver to ban internal combustion engine vehicles by 2035.
Automakers have long cited electromagnetic interference from EV propulsion systems as a justification for removing AM radio, arguing that interference can degrade sound quality and that shielding against it is prohibitively expensive. This argument helped spur the creation of the AM Radio for Every Vehicle Act, which aimed to mandate AM radio as a standard safety feature in all new cars. The NAB has countered that many automakers have successfully integrated AM radio into EV models, demonstrating that solutions to interference issues are achievable and cost-effective.
The executive order also takes aim at “unfair subsidies” favoring EV adoption, a point Kentucky Senator Rand Paul used in 2023 to block the AM Radio for Every Vehicle Act.
Trump’s directive aligns with his administration’s broader effort to prioritize market-based vehicle technologies, despite resistance from automakers. In November 2024, the Alliance for Automotive Innovation urged Trump to maintain federal support for EV sales mandates, citing the need for “stability and predictability” after automakers had invested billions in EV research and development.
It’s important to note that some automakers, such as Ford, previously proposed eliminating AM radio from all models – EV and combustion alike – indicating that the issue extends beyond EV-specific challenges to broader cost and industry trends.
While some manufacturers continued to include AM radio in their 2025 EV models, the legislative delay of the AM Radio for Every Vehicle Act could complicate future decisions, particularly as federal emissions standards and EV mandates are re-evaluated.
While Trump’s order could reduce the technical barriers associated with AM radio in EVs if fewer electric models are produced, this alone is unlikely to guarantee AM radio’s inclusion in future vehicles. The fate of AM radio in dashboards will depend heavily on how the AM Radio for Every Vehicle Act progresses in the 119th Congress.
“AM radio’s inclusion…”
With DEI rules going away, there’s no need for AM radio inclusion.
Trump changes everything.