Satisfaction With Cost of Charging EVs Declined Last Year, J.D. Power Study Finds

by Peter Maloney
APPA News
April 4, 2023

Satisfaction with the cost and time of charging an electric vehicle at home has declined over the past year, according to a new study by J.D. Power.

A total of 83 percent of electric vehicle owners use Level 2 portable or permanently mounted home charging stations, their satisfaction with the cost of charging declined from last year’s 2022 study by more than 30 points, on a 1,000-point scale, in each segment, the report, U.S. Electric Vehicle Experience (EVX) Home Charging Study, found.

Of the 68 percent of electric vehicle owners who use a Level 2 permanently mounted charging station, their overall satisfaction declined 12 points year-over-year to 740, according to the study.

Over the past year, the electric vehicle marketplace has encountered rising electricity rates, in part, because of the recent inflationary period in the United States, the study’s authors said.

The declines in owner satisfaction carried across all regions of the United States, but New England saw the steepest decline, falling 27 points to 689, while electric vehicle owners in the East South Central region reported the highest levels of satisfaction, 785 points, with the cost of charging.

Satisfaction also generally improved, by 179 points, when owners moved up from a level 1, 120-volt charger to a Level 2, 240-volt charger.

The study also found that 35 percent of electric vehicle owners reported always scheduling their home charging time, while 49 percent said they do not use any scheduling. And owners who schedule their charging times using the vehicle’s app reported more satisfaction than owners who use the charger’s mobile app. 

Driver satisfaction with the speed of home charging also declined, with owners of 2022 and 2023 model electric vehicles reporting less satisfaction with their home charging speeds – ratings of 605 and 597, respectively – than owners of 2021 and 2020 model electric vehicles, by ratings of 616 and 608, respectively, the study found.

The study’s authors also noted that while electric vehicle owners’ awareness of utility electric vehicle programs and incentives rose slightly, there is room for improvement.

Only 51 percent of electric vehicle owners said they were knowledgeable about utility programs for charging electric vehicles at home, compared with 49 percent a year ago.

There is little awareness and utilization of benefits, such as programs designed to save electric vehicle owners charging costs by scheduling to charge during the most affordable time of the day, the study found.