J.D. Power study shows EV owners more satisfied than ever, led by Rivian R1T, beating Tesla
Consumer insights and analytics specialist J.D. Power has released its annual US Electric Vehicle Experience (EVX) Ownership Study that relays not only an increase in EV customer satisfaction but also a shift to more traditional factors, like vehicle quality and styling, rather than categories like range. In its first year of eligibility, the Rivian R1T garnered the top satisfaction rating amongst premium EVs, dethroning 2022’s leader, the Tesla Model 3.
J.D. Power is an American consumer intelligence company founded in the late 1960s that uses big data and AI to evaluate detailed consumer interactions and trends across many industries, including automotive, financial services, healthcare, insurance, technology, and media.
Each year, the company releases its US Electric Vehicle Experience (EVX) Ownership Study, which benchmarks customer satisfaction with the critical attributes that affect the total or overall EV ownership experience.
For the past two years, the study has been conducted through the EV driver app and research firm PlugShare and has rated BEVs and PHEVs in both the premium and mass-market automotive segments. J.D. Power’s leading premium BEV for 2022 was the Tesla Model 3, joined by the Kia Niro EV as the highest-rated mass-market model.
This year, however, J.D. Power is reporting a new premium EV with the highest customer satisfaction that also represents a shift in factors most important to customers, like towing. Here’s the 2023 data:
Rivian R1T takes J.D. Power crown for premium EVs
According to J.D. Power’s 2023 EVX Ownership Study, the Rivian R1T and MINI Cooper electric have the highest levels of owner satisfaction for premium and mass-market Evs, respectively. The R1T ranked highest in seven of the 10 categories within the study for a total of 794 points (out of 1,000). Second was the Tesla Model 3, with 759 points.
The MINI electric garnered 782 points, followed by the Kia EV6 (762) and Mustang Mach-E (742). Compiling all three years of the study, J.D. Power points out that customer satisfaction for premium EVs averages 756 points, while mass-market vehicles sit at 730. Executive director of the EV practice at J.D. Power Brent Gruber spoke to this year’s results:
The electric vehicle landscape is changing quickly, and newer models are bringing in more mainstream, first-time EV buyers. 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. Today’s EV owners are looking for quality, reliability, driving enjoyment, safety and technology features.
According to J.D. Power, the biggest inhibitors to customer satisfaction in premium EVs are squeaks and rattling, while infotainment remains the biggest complaint for mass-market BEV owners for a third consecutive year. Mass-market vehicle owners also reported a much larger qualm with public charging availability as those EVs do not have access to Tesla’s Supercharger network… but only for a bit longer.
The past year brought the debut of multiple all-electric trucks in addition to the Rivian R1T, and customer satisfaction surprisingly reflected positive feedback for those who did use their all-electric towing capabilities. Drive range satisfaction was also higher among those who towed compared to those who hadn’t, stating that estimated range accuracy met customer expectations.
First-time BEV ownership is up 11% compared to 2022, and mass-market EVs are seeing adoption at a higher rate than premium models. Those customers note decreased operational costs and tax credits as their primary reasons for purchasing their first EV, while driving performance remains the top reason for first-time premium BEV buyers.
J.D. Power states that customers for the study included 7,073 owners of 2022 and 2023 model-year BEVs and PHEVs who were surveyed from August through December 2022.
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After a month off trying to wrap our heads around all the chaos surrounding EVs, solar, and everything else in Washington, we’re back with the biggest EV news stories of the day from Tesla, Ford, Volvo, and everyone else on today’s hiatus-busting episode of Quick Charge!
It just gets worse and worse for the Tesla true believers – especially those willing to put their money where Elon’s mouth is! One believer is set to lose nearly $50,000 betting on Tesla’s ability to deliver a Robotaxi service by the end of June (didn’t happen), and the controversial CEO’s most recent spat with President Trump had TSLA down nearly 5% in pre-morning trading.
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Hyundai is getting ready to shake things up. A new electric crossover SUV, likely the Hyundai IONIQ 2, is set to debut in the coming months. It will sit below the Kona Electric as Hyundai expands its entry-level EV lineup.
Is Hyundai launching the IONIQ 2 in 2026?
After launching the Inster late last year, Hyundai is already preparing to introduce a new entry-level EV in Europe.
Xavier Martinet, President and CEO of Hyundai Europe, confirmed that the new EV will be revealed “in the next few months.” It will be built in Europe and scheduled to go on sale in mid-2026.
Hyundai’s new electric crossover is expected to be a twin to the Kia EV2, which will likely arrive just ahead of it next year.
It will be underpinned by the same E-GMP platform, which powers all IONIQ and Kia EV models (EV3, EV4, EV5, EV6, and EV9).
Like the Kia EV3, it will likely be available with either a 58.3 kWh or 81.4 kWh battery pack option. The former provides a WLTP range of 267 miles while the latter is rated with up to 372 miles. All trims are powered by a single electric motor at the front, producing 201 hp and 209 lb-ft of torque.
Although it may share the same underpinnings as the EV2, Hyundai’s new entry-level EV will feature an advanced new software and infotainment system.
According to Autocar, the interior will represent a “step change” in terms of usability and features. The new system enables new functions, such as ambient lighting and sounds that adjust depending on the drive mode.
It’s expected to showcase Hyundai’s powerful new Pleos software and infotainment system. As an end-to-end software platform, Pleos connects everything from the infotainment system (Pleos Connect) to the Vehicle Operating System (OS) and the cloud.
Pleos is set to power Hyundai’s upcoming software-defined vehicles (SDVs) with new features like autonomous driving and real-time data analysis.
As an Android-based system, Pleos Connect features a “smartphone-like UI” with new functions including multi-window viewing and an AI voice assistant.
The new electric crossover is expected to start at around €30,000 ($35,400), or slightly less than the Kia EV3, priced from €35,990 ($42,500). It will sit between the Inster and Kona Electric in Hyundai’s lineup.
Hyundai said that it would launch the first EV with its next-gen infotainment system in Q2 2026. Will it be the IONIQ 2? Hyundai is expected to unveil the new entry-level EV at IAA Mobility in September. Stay tuned for more info. We’ll keep you updated with the latest.
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Tesla has unveiled its lithium-iron-phosphate (LFP) battery cell factory in Nevada and claims that it is nearly ready to start production.
Like several other automakers using LFP cells, Tesla relies heavily on Chinese manufacturers for its battery cell supply.
Tesla’s cheapest electric vehicles all utilize LFP cells, and its entire range of energy storage products, Megapacks and Powerwalls, also employ the more affordable LFP cell chemistry from Chinese manufacturers.
This reliance on Chinese manufacturers is less than ideal and particularly complicated for US automakers and battery pack manufacturers like Tesla, amid an ongoing trade war between the US and virtually the entire world, including China.
As of last year, a 25% tariff already applied to battery cells from China, but this increased to more than 80% under Trump before he paused some tariffs on China. It remains unclear where they will end up by the time negotiations are complete and the trade war is resolved, but many expect it to be higher.
Prior to Trump taking power, Tesla had already planned to build a small LFP battery factory in the US to avoid the 25% tariffs.
The automaker had secured older manufacturing equipment from one of its battery cell suppliers, CATL, and planned to deploy it in the US for small-scale production.
Tesla has now released new images of the factory in Nevada and claimed that it is “nearing completion”:
Here are a few images from inside the factory (via Tesla):
Previous reporting stated that Tesla aims to produce about 10 GWh of LFP battery cells per year at the new factory.
The cells are expected to be used in Tesla’s Megapack, produced in the US. Tesla currently has a capacity to produce 40 GWh of Megapacks annually at its factory in California. The company is also working on a new Megapack factory in Texas.
Ford is also developing its own LFP battery cell factory in Michigan, but this facility is significantly larger, with a planned production capacity of 35 GWh.
Electrek’s Take
It’s nice to see this in the US. LFP was a US/Canada invention, with Arumugam Manthiram and John B. Goodenough doing much of the early work, and researchers in Quebec making several contributions to help with commercialization.
But China saw the potential early and invested heavily in volume manufacturing of LFP cells and it now dominates the market.
Tesla is now producing most of its vehicles with LFP cells and all its stationary energy storage products.
It makes sense to invest in your own production. However, Tesla is unlikely to catch up to BYD and CATL, which dominate LFP cell production.
The move will help Tesla avoid tariffs on a small percentage of its Megapacks produced in the US. Ford’s effort is more ambitious.
It’s worth noting that both Ford’s and Tesla’s LFP plants were planned before Trump’s tariffs, which have had limited success in bringing manufacturing back to the US.
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