• by Tanya Gazdik , Staff Writer, Yesterday

Despite volatility in electric vehicle sales, current owners report a new high in satisfaction.

That’s according to the JD Power 2026 U.S. Electric Vehicle Experience (EVX) Ownership Study.

Overall satisfaction among current battery electric vehicle (BEV) owners is at its highest level since the study’s inception in 2021. Notably, nearly all owners of new BEVs (96%) say they would consider purchasing or leasing another BEV for their next vehicle.

The Tesla Model 3 ranks the highest overall followed by the Tesla Model Y and BMW i4. The Ford Mustang Mach-E ranks highest among mass market brands followed by the Hyundai Ioniq 6 and Kia EV9.

EV market share declined sharply following the discontinuation of the federal tax credit program in September 2025.

“But that dip belies steadily growing customer satisfaction among owners of new EVs,” said Brent Gruber, executive director of the EV practice at JD Power in a release. ”What’s more, the vast majority of current EV owners say they will consider purchasing another EV for their next vehicle, regardless of whether they benefited from the now-expired federal tax credit.”

The availability of public charging is by far the most improved index factor in both premium and mass market BEV segments. Satisfaction among premium battery electric vehicle (BEV) owners is 652 (on a 1,000-point scale) and 511 among mass market owners, up 101 and 115 points, respectively, year over year. 

The continued growth of publicly available chargers and the opening of the Tesla Supercharger network to non-Tesla models have notably improved satisfaction among mass market BEV owners during the past several years. Furthermore, satisfaction among Tesla owners is rebounding as they adapt to the expanded access of the charging network.

BEVs continue to have higher satisfaction than plug-in hybrid electric vehicles (PHEVs). Overall satisfaction continues to be higher among BEV owners in both the premium (786) and mass market (727) segments versus comparable PHEV owners, particularly when it comes to satisfaction with the cost of ownership. 

Premium BEVs score 114 points higher than premium PHEVs in this area, while mass market BEVs outperform their PHEV counterparts by 117 points. Although PHEVs benefit from improved battery performance compared with traditional internal combustion engine (ICE) vehicles, they still carry the maintenance requirements of an internal combustion engine—cost and service needs that BEVs are able to avoid entirely.

The U.S. Electric Vehicle Experience (EVX) Ownership Study, now in its sixth year, focuses on the crucial first year of ownership.The 2026 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 2026 study include 5,741 owners of 2025 and 2026 model-year BEVs and PHEVs. The study was fielded from August through December 2025.