This appears to be a hot topic these days. Car makers and those under their influence are against lawmakers making AM radios mandatory, citing safety reasons (!?).
Of course, other Part 15 sites are fully for this proposed law. If AM radios disappeared in cars, they'd have to consider using FM, and that would just be embarrassing, given their stance on that subject.
I have a wonderful idea. It used to be that radios were an option in virtually all cars - you could actually purchase vehicles without radios and put in aftermarket units (which were much superior in sound quality). I don't see why that just doesn't happen. If you want an AM radio, and are prepared to pay for the radio and necessary modifications to the car to avoid interference, why not? Or, if the manufacturers don't want to even deal with all that, shock of all shocks, the carmakers could just put in an empty DIN slot in the dash, and let customers do the installation if they so desire.
Of course, that would then potentially take away from their desired revenue streams in providing satellite and/or streaming services to the vehicle in place of the radio.
I personally think it's a bit much to force automakers to put in radios in cars. But I think they should be forced to at least provide the option for the customer to opt out of whatever entertainment services they want to provide (at extra cost, of course), and install their own.
Mr. Artisan's idea of simply making AM optional in new cars makes the best sense of anything else heard so far. That's the way it was with FM in the beginning. That's the way it was with installing a vinyl record player in the car. Now a'days the dashboard has become such a cluttered entertainment center that the vehicle resembles a space craft equipped for a voyage to Neptune. The only thing lacking is a food and beverage vending module. I can envision a sci-fi movie about a self-driving car that takes over and heads off to an unknown destination with a captive passenger banging on the windows and trying helplessly to signal for help. AM radio wouldn't help in that situation.
Even as late as the early 2000s I could get an entry level economy car like a Hyundai Accent and others with no radio, no power steering, and mechanical roll up windows. The government didn't say then a car had to have a radio. There were basic cars like this made to be affordable and you added what you wanted. There was no outcry that cars came with no radios. Me, I agree with the other posts that it has gotten crazy now. Everything made is expensive SUVs with all this tech stuff whether you want it or not and there are no basic small cars anymore. Only a few "cars" left at all.
As for the excuse that AM can't be there because of the noise is garbage. I was at a the Kia dealer recently for a part and I asked about one of their electric cars does this have AM and he said yes. I asked does it work when you turn it on and move and the salesperson said yes just as you are listening now and he demonstrated it when I asked. Said he would take me out to show me it works when driving. So I asked how come Kia can do it but Tesla and Ford say they can't? He, who has a Tesla, said that's what they tell you, but the real reason he said, is it's not high tech and doesn't fit in their product, and not enough car buyers, myself included, would care that much and not worth the trouble. Not all are eliminating it. Don't get a Tesla.
The reason for the outcry now is the corporations that own the stations say it will kill the AM band and our business and the broadcasters say we do traffic weather and news that may be essential if travelling. The rich corporations have influence on the government. The other forum that endorses this, is that AM in the USA is our hobby and it will hurt "us".
But no one complained when cars came standard with no radio at all. And more radio listening is in cars.
Have never heard anything about this in Canada by the way.