- EV market share is up to 9.1% of all new cars sold, up from 8.4% last year.
- Because of the uncertainty behind tax credits, J.D. Power is expecting demand to stay flat this year.
- The BMW iX has the highest owner satisfaction among all models surveyed.
It’s a not-so-good time for EVs right now, at least when it comes to regulation and incentives. The IRA’s tax credits are on the chopping block, hurting pricing on what are still kind of expensive vehicles. The threat of tariffs on Mexico and Canada also has the potential to seriously hurt the affordability of all cars, not just electric ones.
Yet, despite all that news, satisfaction for EVs remains high. J.D. Power’s 2025 U.S. Electric Vehicle Experience (EVX) Ownership Study, published this week, shows that sentiment among EV owners is high, but that comes with some caveats.
EVs now make up 9.1% of all new U.S. car sales, up from 8.4% last year. But because of the uncertainty of all of these incentives that encourage new EV sales, J.D. Power is expecting market share to stay flat for this year.
The study said that more than half of buyers surveyed said that tax credit incentives were a major reason for purchase. If those incentives evaporate, then there goes those buyers.
“The elimination of EV tax incentives and public charging funding has the potential to affect two critical barriers to EV adoption: public charging availability and vehicle prices,” said Brent Gruber, executive director of the EV practice at J.D. Power. These tax credits help both on the purchase side and because they fund EV charger infrastructure investments. Once again, if those credits go, then that charging infrastructure won’t happen, making EVs a lot less attractive for buyers.
Still, the drivers who have EVs love them. The survey said that 94% of EV owners intend to get another for their next vehicle. Owner satisfaction is high; U.S.-market EVs and premium EVs got 725 and 726 out of 1,000 respectively. Only 12% of the EV buyers surveyed would consider an ICE or hybrid car to replace an EV.
Public charging is getting better, too. Tesla supercharging still reigns supreme at a score of 555, but the other brands are up a whopping 86 points at 396. Both have a long way to go, but this is good to hear. Interestingly, the BMW iX is the most satisfying EV to own, scoring 790. BMW’s i4 came in second, followed by the Rivian R1S.
Photo by: Rivian
Rivian California Dune Edition R1S and R1T
This is all despite the fact that the survey still found that premium EVs are more problematic to own than non-premium EVs. Seven of the EVs reported with the least problems were from mainstream brands. But, the survey acklowledged that the gap between the two classes is narrowing.
PHEVs won big, too. Non-premium PHEV models still have issues with customer satisfaction, but ones made by higher-end brands scored 741, surpassing the average owner satisfaction rating for EVs.
It’s interesting to see how this will all play out in 2025. True, EV market share and electrification is an inevitable in this industry. However, the Trump administration has placed some real roadblocks in the way of the U.S.’s path to EV adoption.
This new data is more proof, however, that those who get an EV are unlikely to go back to gas.
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