Charging concerns grow amongst US BEV owners

Public charger availability remains the least satisfying aspect of owning a BEV in the US, with the situation worsening over the past year, according to a survey by consumer insights and analytics firm JD Power. 

JD Power uses a points system to evaluate customer satisfaction. Among mass market BEV owners, satisfaction with public charger availability is 32 points lower than a year ago.

“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,” says Brent Gruber, executive director of the EV practice at JD Power.

Overall satisfaction among first-time BEV owners has declined by 16 points from 2023, with battery range and public charging availability the two key factors in declining satisfaction. 

Almost half (48pc) of new BEV owners, and over a third (39pc) of used BEV owners, say they will consider a plug-in hybrid vehicle (PHEV) as their next purchase.

But the study also finds that owners of PHEVs are less satisfied with their vehicle than owners of BEVs.

Overall satisfaction with PHEVs is 629, compared to 718 for mass market BEVs and 750 for premium BEVs.

In terms of consumer satisfaction, the BMW i4 ranks highest overall and highest in the premium BEV segment with a score of 800. Rivian R1T (789) ranks second and Rivian R1S (778) ranks third.

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The Mini Cooper Electric ranks highest in the mass market BEV segment for a second consecutive year, with a score of 770. The Ford Mustang Mach-E (764) ranks second and the Hyundai Ioniq 6 (759) ranks third.

Survey respondents for the 2024 study include 4,650 owners of 2023 and 2024 model-year BEVs and PHEVs.

The study is conducted in collaboration with EV application firm PlugShare.