05/09/2024

New J.D. Power EV Study: Public Charging Woes Negatively Impact Owner Satisfaction

Source: Fleet Management Weekly

Despite the fact that electric vehicle owners are largely satisfied with the more established facets of vehicle ownership, such as cost of ownership and quality, charging their EV away from home still remains a sticking point.

That’s a key finding revealed in the newly released J.D. Power 2024 U.S. Electric Vehicle Experience (EVX) Ownership Study. And it’s not just dissatisfaction with the availability of public charging stations, but also the fact that the experience of utilizing them has actually taken a downward turn. This is not good news for the industry considering that EV adoption is, arguably, the hottest topic in the automotive world at present.

“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.”

Removing charging difficulties from the equation and focusing on the vehicles themselves, owners of Mass Market makes and models tend to be more satisfied with their EVs than do owners of Premium brands, reporting far fewer problems.

The J.D. Power EV study also found that when switching from gasoline-powered vehicles to new electrified models, there is a definite learning curve accompanied by various growing pains. First-time EV owners expressed greater levels of dissatisfaction than those car buyers who are on their second or third electric vehicles. To further make that point, that same group of first-time EV buyers are markedly more willing to consider a traditional gasoline-powered vehicle for their next car or truck than those who are repeat EV buyers.

As in most J.D. Power studies, it’s the awards and rankings which have the most interest to both automotive industry insiders and the car-buying public. And the J.D. Power 2024 U.S. Electric Vehicle Experience (EVX) Ownership Study is no exception. Therefore, here are the leader boards for those vehicles that qualified for consideration:

Premium EVs

1. BMW i4
2. Rivian R1T
3. Rivian R1S

Mass Market EVs 

1. MINI Cooper Electric
2. Ford Mustang Mach-E
3. Hyundai IONIQ 6 

For further information about the J.D. Power 2024 U.S. Electric Vehicle Experience (EVX) Ownership Study, click here.

To read the official press release, click here.