Public Charging Landscape Deteriorating, J.D. Power Study Finds – Green Fleet

Despite the difference in how battery electric vehicles and internal combustion engine vehicles are powered, what vehicle owners search for within the two stays the identical.

Quality and price of ownership have emerged as the highest aspects influencing satisfaction amongst EV owners, in response to the J.D. Power 2024 U.S. Electric Vehicle Experience Ownership Study.

One other key finding within the study reveals that public charger availability not only stays the least satisfying aspect of owning a BEV, but additionally that the experience has change into notably worse.

Now in its fourth 12 months, the U.S. Electric Vehicle Experience Ownership Study focuses on the crucial first 12 months of ownership.

Key Findings From the U.S. Electric Vehicle Experience Ownership Study

Below are a number of the key findings J.D. Power highlighted from the study.

• Public charging isn’t just bad; it’s getting worse: The study finds that the general public charging experience continues to be a significant source of EV owner frustration. Further, non-Tesla owners indicate that the situation is deteriorating. While more OEMs proceed to create adapters so their vehicles can use Tesla’s massive Supercharger network, the method takes time.

  Amongst mass market BEV owners, satisfaction with public charger availability is 32 points lower than a 12 months ago. “The industry should view this lack of improvement as a critical issue that requires decisive motion,” Gruber said.

   

• Mass market BEVs deliver higher quality than premium BEVs: Owners of mass market brand BEVs experience fewer problems with their vehicle than do owners of premium BEVs. Eleven of the 14 ranked mass market models outperform the premium brand market average in total problems.

  “Quality and reliability are crucial drivers of a positive EV ownership experience,” said Brent Gruber, executive director of the EV practice at J.D. Power. “As EVs extend to the broader market, minimizing problems shall be key to meeting consumer expectations.”

   

• First-time BEV owners are less satisfied than BEV veterans: Buyers recent to BEV ownership are less satisfied than those that have previously owned a BEV. This 12 months, the satisfaction gap between the 2 groups is 28 points, whereas a 12 months ago, the gap was 14 points.

  Overall satisfaction amongst first-time BEV owners has declined 16 points from 2023. Battery range and public charging availability are the 2 aspects through which the gap between previous BEV owners and recent owners is best.

   

• Most BEV owners say they’ll consider a BEV again, but first-time BEV owners could also be more fickle: First-time BEV owners say they’re open to considering non-BEVs in the long run. Nevertheless, almost half (48%) say they may consider a plug-in hybrid vehicle and 39% say they’re willing to contemplate hybrid or ICE vehicles.

  Meanwhile, 38% of previous BEV owners say they’re willing to contemplate a PHEV and only 19% would consider a hybrid or ICE vehicle for his or her next purchase.

   

• PHEVs may not present alternative to BEVs: Some experts have suggested plug-in hybrid vehicles could solve lots of the issues plaguing BEVs, corresponding to range limitations and lack of public charging availability.

  Nevertheless, this 12 months’s study finds PHEV owners are, on the entire, much less satisfied with their vehicle than owners of BEVs are. Overall satisfaction with PHEVs is 629, while mass market BEVs and premium BEVs rating much higher at 718 and 750, respectively.

  “Plug-in hybrids will not be the straightforward solution to solving early issues with full battery electric vehicles,” Gruber said. “Expected lower running costs is a top purchase reason for EVs but satisfaction with the associated fee of ownership is far lower for plug-in hybrids. Plug-in hybrids retain the prices of maintaining a conventional powertrain yet without the good thing about the prolonged electric driving range present in full battery electric vehicles.”

Quality stays certainly one of the largest aspects in EV ownership satisfaction, having also ranked on top in 2023. Nevertheless, cost of ownership is available in as the opposite top factor, whereas styling took that spot in 2023.

Which Vehicles Ranked Highest

Within the study, BEV owners rated their overall satisfaction with their specific vehicle makes and models.

The general EVX ownership index rating measures EV owner satisfaction in each premium and mass market segments. The 2024 study includes 10 aspects:

• Accuracy of stated battery range
• Availability of public charging stations
• Battery range
• Cost of ownership
• Driving enjoyment
• Ease of charging at home
• Interior and exterior styling
• Safety and technology features
• Service experience
• Vehicle quality and reliability

The vehicles topping the list within the two segments rank highest of their respective segment on the strength of their performance within the vehicle quality and reliability factor.

The BMW i4 ranks highest overall and highest within the premium BEV segment with a rating of 800. The Rivian R1T pickup truck ranks second at 789, and its Rivian R1S SUV counterpart ranks third at 778.

The MINI Cooper Electric ranks highest within the mass market BEV segment for a second consecutive 12 months, with a rating of 770. The Ford Mustang Mach-E ranks second just behind it at 764 and the Hyundai IONIQ 6 ranks third at 759.

The BMW i4 and MINI Cooper Electric each rating greater than 60 points higher — on a  1,000-point scale — than their respective nearest segment competitor for that factor.

“The rise within the EV share of the new-vehicle market, reflected by seven recent rank-eligible models this 12 months, is a notable step within the transition toward vehicle electrification,” Gruber said. “Many products are hitting the mark and resonating with shoppers but, at the identical time, the decline in satisfaction with public charging availability should function a warning because concern about access to public charging is a key reason many buyers currently reject BEVs. For EVs to achieve their full potential, this issue must be resolved.”

The variety of award-eligible models within the premium segment has grown from five to eight 12 months over 12 months.

Award-eligible mass market models have increased from 10 to 14. Satisfaction amongst owners of premium EVs averages 750, while satisfaction amongst mass market EV owners averages 718.

The study is conducted in collaboration with PlugShare, an EV driver app maker and research firm.

Survey respondents for the 2024 study include 4,650 owners of 2023 and 2024 model-year BEVs and PHEVs. The study was fielded from August through December 2023.