The results of J.D. Power’s latest Electric Vehicle Experience Ownership Study are in and they’re going to make some people over in Munich very happy. BMW’s i4 was ranked highest overall in the premium category and sister brand Mini’s Cooper Electric took top honours in the mass-market sector.
Among other premium EVs, Rivian’s R1T and R1S, and Tesla’s Model 3 and Model Y also scored above average, leaving Audi’s Q4 e-tron bottom of the table. And in the mass-market section the Ford Mustang Mach-E ran the Mini Cooper close, as did the new Hyundia Ioniq 6. But at the other end of the scale there was bad news for one of the EVs that kicked off the whole modern electric revolution, the Nissan Leaf.
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Now in its fourth year, the EVX study focuses on an EV driver’s first year of ownership and is scored on factor including accuracy of state range, cost of ownership, driving enjoyment, quality and reliability, interior and exterior styling and the availability of public charging stations. This last one turned out to be a major bugbear for those polled, who appeared even less satisfied with charging availability than those involved in last year’s study.
That growing dissatisfaction could be why 39 percent of respondents who were driving their first EV expressed an interest in buying a hybrid or straight combustion-powered car next time, and 48 percent said they’d consider switching to a PHEV.
Those on their second or third BEV were more likely to stick with a pure EV, only 38 percent saying they’d consider a plug-in and just 19 percent admitting to thinking about getting a hybrid or ICE vehicle when the time comes to swap into something new.
But the grass isn’t always greener. J.D. Power says it also has data showing that PHEV buyers are far less satisfied with their cars than BEV owners are with theirs, much of the grumbling coming down to worse than anticipated running costs.
“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.”
