A new JD Power study indicates a decline in Tesla owner satisfaction but an increase for other electric vehicles.
The annual JD Power Automotive Performance, Execution, and Layout (APEAL) study measures customer satisfaction during the first 90 days of ownership, based on a survey covering 37 vehicle attributes. With a score of 878 out of 1000 points, Tesla remains one of the top-rated brands and outperformed other brands in some attributes. However, this score is nine points lower than a year ago when Tesla was first included in the study.
The overall picture for electric vehicles was more positive. Excluding Tesla, the score for electric vehicles was 840 points, representing a two-point increase year over year, even as the industry as a whole experienced a consecutive year-over-year decline in owner satisfaction for the first time in the 28-year history of the APEAL study. The overall industry satisfaction score was 845, two points lower than in 2022 and three points lower than in 2021.
Electric vehicles are also closing the gap with gasoline cars. The average score for gasoline cars was 843 points, only three points higher than electric vehicles and tied with plug-in hybrids. Among individual models, the BMW i4 was also a runner-up in the Premium Compact Car category, behind the Lexus IS.
However, some EV models appear to have lost some ground against gasoline models in the rankings. The Mercedes-Benz EQS and the Kia EV6 led gasoline vehicles in their respective categories in the 2022 APEAL study but did not repeat that this year. The i4 was the only EV among the top three in any model category.
This study does not cover the service experience. Another JD Power study published earlier this year found that electric vehicle owners were less satisfied with dealer service than gasoline car owners.
JD Power discovered last year that price is crucial in EV charging satisfaction, so it remains to be seen if, as EV prices stabilize, consumers become even more positive about electric vehicles.
As JD Power has emphasized before, most first-time EV owners are very satisfied with the EV ownership experience, and those who buy an EV are likely to get another EV, even if their satisfaction decreases from that initial impression.
