EVs now almost as satisfying as petrol and diesel cars

Porsche and Dodge have topped the latest consumer satisfaction survey in North America, but overall satisfaction with new vehicles has declined for the first time since 2014.

According to the latest research from JD Power, US automotive consumers are still more satisfied with the fuel economy and range of combustion-powered vehicles compared to the EV range and charging speed of electric vehicles.

However, the research firm says that gap is closing, largely due to a spike in fuel prices across the globe.

Measuring the emotional attachment and level of excitement US car buyers experience with their new vehicle within 90 days of taking delivery, the study asks owners to consider 37 attributes, from the sense of comfort they feel getting in, to the exhilaration they feel when stepping on the accelerator.

But timing and driver perception plays a big part in this year’s results, said JD Power’s director of global automotive, David Amodeo.

“The most important factor leading to the industry decline this year is owners’ perception of their vehicle’s fuel economy,” he said.

“The study was fielded as fuel prices were experiencing a meteoric rise, and that pinch at the pump is conveyed in lower vehicle satisfaction. Battery-electric vehicles have not been negatively affected by the increase in fuel costs but do have issues related to battery range and charging time.”

According to JD Power’s latest US Automotive Performance, Execution and Layout (APEAL) Study, this year’s drop in overall new vehicle satisfaction is the first since 2014 and mark’s the fifth year-on-year decline in the 27-year history of the study.

But it’s not all bad news for manufacturers, with premium brands such as Porsche, Genesis and Mercedes-Benz all scoring favourably with the 84,000-plus respondents in this year’s survey.

Judged against a 1000-point scale, it was Porsche that came out ahead of all other premium brands, scoring 888 points to put it just ahead of Genesis (886 points), Cadillac (885), Mercedes-Benz (876) and BMW (875).

In the mass market vehicle segment, Dodge finished well on top with 882 points, followed by RAM (863), GMC (856) and Chevrolet (851).

Kia, MINI, Hyundai and Ford weren’t far behind, while the crown for the highest-ranking individual model was awarded to the BMW X6.

Meanwhile, despite the fact EV satisfaction had declined, the zero-emission Kia EV6 was voted number one in the compact SUV category, followed by its sister model, the Hyundai IONIQ 5, and the Hyundai Tucson in third spot.

Hyundai Motor Group also took top honours in the Upper Midsize SUV segment with the Hyundai Palisade and Kia Telluride, ranked first and second respectively.

In Genesis’ first year as an eligible contender, the South Korean car-maker’s G80 sedan and GV70 mid-size SUV each took out the top spot in their respective segments.

Claudia Marquez, COO of Genesis Motor North America, says the company is pleased with customers’ passion for Genesis vehicles, as demonstrated through their responses in the study.

“At Genesis, we create our products with bold designs, the latest technological innovations, refined performance, and class-leading safety and driver assistance features,” said Marquez.

Click here to see the full report.

JD Power 2022 US Automotive Performance Execution and Layout (APEAL) study results – luxury brands:
Porsche – 888
Genesis – 886
Cadillac – 885
Mercedes-Benz – 876
BMW – 875
Segment average – 872
Land Rover – 871
Lincoln – 870
Alfa Romeo – 868
Jaguar – 868
Infiniti – 866
Lexus – 863
Volvo – 852
Acura – 851
Audi – 847
Tesla – 887*
Polestar – 871*

*Tesla and Polestar ineligible because they don’t meet study criteria

JD Power 2022 US Automotive Performance Execution and Layout (APEAL) study results – mainstream brands:
Dodge – 882
RAM – 863
GMC – 856
Chevrolet – 851
Kia – 849
MINI – 848
Hyundai – 846
Ford – 845
Jeep – 845
Nissan – 845
Buick – 843
Segment average – 841
Mitsubishi – 840
Mazda – 839
Volkswagen – 839
Subaru – 833
Toyota – 831
Chrysler – 829
Honda – 824