A new report from automotive consumer analytics organization J.D. Power shows that as consumer buy more electric vehicles (EVs), traditional factors of internal combustion engine vehicles are becoming critical to satisfaction among EV owners.
However, the availability and accessibility to public EV chargers remains the least satisfying aspect of owning an EV, J.D. Power said. Worse still, the experience is only getting more dire, drivers said.
“The increase in the EV share of the new-vehicle market, reflected by seven new rank-eligible models this year, is a notable step in the transition toward vehicle electrification,” said Brent Gruber, executive director of the EV practice at J.D. Power. "Many products are hitting the mark and resonating with shoppers but, at the same time, the decline in satisfaction with public charging availability should serve as a warning because concern about access to public charging is a key reason many buyers currently reject BEVs. For EVs to reach their full potential, this issue needs to be resolved."
Less satisfaction
According to the report, first-time EV owners are less satisfied than other drivers that have owned EVs in the past. Battery range and public charging availability are the two factors that new EV owners are struggling with. That said, most EV owners said they would consider buying an EV again but they may consider a plug-in hybrid option instead.
Drivers seem to be more satisfied with mass market brand EVs over those premium EVs because they have fewer issues with the vehicles. J.D. Power said 11 out of the 14 ranked mass market models outperform the premium brand market average in total problems.
“Quality and reliability are the most important drivers of a positive EV ownership experience,” Gruber said. “As EVs extend to the broader market, minimizing problems will be key to meeting consumer expectations.”
Charging backward
Charging stations are a major source of dissatisfaction. Non-Tesla owners indicate that the situation is deteriorating and the lack of satisfaction with public chargers is 32 points lower than a year ago.
“The industry should view this lack of improvement as a critical issue that requires decisive action,” Gruber said.
The good news is that most automotive OEMs have adopted Telsa’s Supercharger technology, also known as the North American Charging Standard (NACS), and will implement their vehicles on the Supercharger network by around 2025.
This includes Ford Motor, General Motors, Rivian, Volvo and Polestar that signed on to support the charging standard in June of this year. These companies were quickly followed by Mercedes-Benz and Nissan in July. Subaru and Lucid committed to NACS support in late 2023 and Stellantis agreed to support the standard earlier this year.
Most satisfied
Among EVs, the J.D. Power report found that the BMW i4 ranks the highest overall. The Mini Cooper Electric is the highest-ranking mass market EV for a second year. Drivers were satisfied with the vehicle quality and reliability factor.
Among premium models, the Rivian R1T came in second with the Rivian R1S ranking third. In mass market EVs, the Ford Mustang Mach-E ranked second and the Hyundai IONIQ6 ranked third.
