• by Tanya Gazdik , March 2, 2023

As more battery electric vehicle models come to market, owner satisfaction is shifting to traditional factors such as quality and styling.

That shift is evident in the respective premium and mass market segment top finishers, Rivian R1T and Mini Cooper Electric, in the J.D. Power 2023 U.S. Electric Vehicle Experience (EVX) Ownership Study.

In its first year of eligibility, the Rivian R1T ranks highest overall with a satisfaction score of 794 (on a 1,000-point scale). Owners have high levels of satisfaction with the driving enjoyment and interior/exterior styling factors. 

Mini Cooper Electric ranks highest in the mass market segment with a score of 782, supported by the highest satisfaction score of any EV model in the study’s highest-weighted index factor, quality and reliability.

The electric vehicle landscape is changing quickly, and newer models are bringing in more mainstream, first-time EV buyers, says Brent Gruber, executive director of the EV practice at J.D. Power. 

“Recent vehicle launches from both new brands and traditional automakers have had a profound effect on what factors are most important in the ownership experience,” Gruber says in a release. “Today’s EV owners are looking for quality, reliability, driving enjoyment, safety and technology features.”

For a third consecutive year, owners of mass market BEVs cite infotainment as the most problematic category. Among premium BEV owners, the most problematic categories are squeaks and rattles and exterior. 

The largest gap in satisfaction between owners of premium and mass market BEVs is availability of public charging, which is greatly influenced by the Tesla network of chargers. 

Among premium BEV owners, satisfaction with public charging availability is 589, while satisfaction among mass market BEV owners is 341. 

“The EV marketplace is dynamic and the important factors that manufacturers need to watch will vary based on their history and experience,” Gruber says. “First-time EV buyers who are more mainstream will compare their EV’s build quality to what they know about gas-powered vehicles.”

New to the study this year are survey questions specific to EV trucks regarding towing. Overall satisfaction is higher among EV truck owners who have used their vehicle for towing (779) than among owners who have not towed (753). 

Truck manufacturers that proactively communicate the effect that towing has on range (as they do with gas mileage) seems to help set owner expectations.

The study shows an increase of 11 percentage points from 2022 in the rate of first-time BEV ownership, rising to 85% from 74%. 

However, with a host of new product offerings, the mass market BEV segment is attracting new owners at a more rapid rate, as the percentage of first-time BEV owners in the segment jumped to 89% from 67% in 2022. 

While more vehicle shoppers are being drawn to EV ownership, satisfaction among first-time BEV owners is higher than among veteran BEV owners in only one category: vehicle quality and reliability (756 vs. 749, respectively). 

In the mass market segment, 68% of first-time BEV owners say that expected lower running costs and tax credits/incentives were the primary reasons for purchase, while driving performance is the most frequently cited purchase reason (75%) among first-time premium BEV owners.

The U.S. Electric Vehicle Experience (EVX) Ownership Study, now in its third year, implements a methodology change for 2023 by narrowing the satisfaction index to focus on the first year of ownership. 

The overall EVX ownership index score measures electric vehicle owner satisfaction in both premium and mass market segments. 

The 2023 study includes 10 factors (in alphabetical order): 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; and vehicle quality and reliability.

The study is conducted in collaboration with PlugShare, the leading EV driver app maker and research firm. This study sets the standard for benchmarking satisfaction with the critical attributes that affect the total or overall EV ownership experience for both BEV and PHEV vehicles. 

Survey respondents for the study include 7,073 owners of 2022 and 2023 model-year BEVs and PHEVs. The study was fielded from August through December 2022.