Democratic Rep. Josh Gottheimer is calling for AM radio to be mandated in all cars and trucks.

Some electric vehicle manufacturers have stopped including AM radios in their vehicles. Gottheimer says that they are doing this to save money by not having to install the technology to prevent static between the electromagnetic waves from the vehicle and AM radio.

The congressman says that this is dangerous because AM radio is often used to broadcast emergency messages.

“AM radio is where we put a lot of resources, because the way AM radio travels is that it goes very far. It goes through buildings. And during a natural disaster – think Hurricane Sandy…or of course after 9/11 – AM radio was key because it’s where people get their news,” Gottheimer says. “They’re all backed up by battery power – a lot of them around the country are actually vested to make sure these stations stay up and activated even in the toughest conditions.”

He is calling on the Department of Transportation and National Highway Traffic Safety to make it a requirement for all vehicles to include AM radio.