The initial high-quality study looked at by automotive research firm JD Power is complete – and it looks like electric vehicles are giving consumers major headaches.
The JD Power study tracks responses from nearly 100,000 buyers and lessees of 2024 vehicles within the first 90 days of ownership, and for the first time in the study’s 38-year history, it includes data on repair visits. Overall, internal combustion engine (ICE) vehicles averaged 180 PP100 (or 180 problems per 100 vehicles), while battery electric vehicles (BEV) averaged 266 PP100, 86 points higher than ICE vehicles.
Automakers have typically said that EVs are generally less problematic and require fewer repairs than ICE vehicles because they have fewer parts and systems. However, JD Power’s study with newly incorporated repair data shows that EVs, as well as plug-in hybrid electric vehicles (PHEVs), require more repairs than gas vehicles in all repair categories.
“Owners of modern technology-packed BEVs and PHEVs are experiencing problems that are serious enough to take their new vehicle into the dealership at three times the rate of owners of gas-powered vehicles,” he wrote. Frank Hanley, senior director of vehicle comparison at JD Power, in the study.
“Not surprisingly, the introduction of new technology has challenged manufacturers to maintain vehicle quality,” added Hanley.
JD Power’s study reported no significant improvement in BEV quality this year, and that’s about the biggest name in the EV space — Tesla (TSLA).
Typically, the gap between Tesla’s quality and that of older automakers’ EVs has been wide, with Tesla scoring better than other automakers. But that disparity has narrowed, with Tesla’s score and traditional automakers’ average scores for EVs standing at 266 PP100. “The removal of traditional feature controls, such as turn signals and wiper tails, has not been well received by Tesla customers,” JD Power said, leading to a deterioration in Tesla’s performance in the final model year ( to 266 from 253 in 2023). .
The initial quality issues with EVs come as demand for EVs in general in the US has slowed. Obstacles such as lack of charging infrastructure, range anxiety and high costs (which are coming down) have hampered EV adoption. Adding quality concerns and high repair costs to the ownership bill will not help the electrification of the nation’s vehicle fleet, which is among the top priorities for the White House.
A recent McKinsey Consumer Pulse study also found that 46% of Americans who own electric vehicles are considering switching to ICE vehicles, a surprising statistic given the overall global figure was 29%.
Looking at brands overall, the JD Power study said Ram, Stellantis’ truck brand, topped the overall ranking list with a 149 PP100 ranking, with Chevrolet, Hyundai, Kia and Buick also near the top. Porsche, with 172 PP100, beat all premium brands, ahead of Lexus and Genesis.
On the other hand, Polestar, Dodge, Tesla, Rivian and Volvo (related to Audi) were the worst in terms of overall quality, with pure EV brands like Polestar, Rivian and the aforementioned Tesla dragging down the vehicle rankings. electric.
Pras Subramanian is a reporter for Yahoo Finance covering the automotive industry. You can follow it I tweet and so on Instagram.
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