The public electric vehicle (EV) charging network has often been blamed for the slower-than-expected adoption of EVs in the United States.
However, this year, there’s encouraging news: overall satisfaction with public EV charging has improved for the second quarter. Although the challenges are far from over, the J.D. Power 2024 US Electric Vehicle Experience (EVX) Public Charging Study indicates progress is being made.
The number of public charging stations across the country continues to grow but has yet to match the rate of EV sales. During the past several years, the rise in the number of EVs per public charging station has contributed to a declining level of satisfaction with such chargers. This year, however, customer satisfaction with the two principal methods of public charging offers a hopeful sign.
This year’s study shows a boost in satisfaction with dc (direct current) fast chargers, which increased to 664 on a 1,000-point scale — a 10-point jump from the same period in 2023. But this progress is offset by a drop in satisfaction with public Level 2 charging, which fell to 614 — three points lower than last year — despite recent quarterly improvements.
“While the customer satisfaction scores for public charging continue to prompt concern, the results offer reasons for optimism,” said Brent Gruber, executive director of the EV practice at J.D. Power. “Among users of Level 2 chargers, satisfaction improves in five of the 10 factors that make up overall satisfaction, and among dc fast-charger users, satisfaction is up in six of the 10 categories. In addition, the overall indices have improved for the past two quarters. This indicates progress in many areas that EV owners care about, like the speed and availability of fast chargers and the convenience of having other things to do during longer Level 2 charging sessions.”
The fact that non-Tesla owners can now access the Tesla Supercharger network is one reason for the increase in dc fast-charger satisfaction. Previously, Tesla’s extensive network of its dc fast chargers was reserved exclusively for owners of Tesla vehicles but having qualified for access to multi-billion-dollar federal infrastructure funding has prompted the automaker to allow access to all EV owners.
For the first time, the study has been able to quantify the effects by analyzing the responses of Tesla and non-Tesla EV owners in specific factors that influence satisfaction.
“Overall, both Tesla and non-Tesla owners find charging their vehicles at Tesla Supercharger facilities is most satisfying,” Gruber said. “Non-Tesla owners — like those with EVs from Ford or Rivian who now have access to the Supercharger network — appreciate the ability to charge at the broad network of Tesla chargers that was previously unavailable to them. Despite the recent influx of non-Tesla vehicles into the Supercharger facilities — which has caused some grumbling — Tesla owners still appreciate the ease of charging and ease of payment that the network offers. However, since the beginning of the year, J.D. Power has seen a decline in satisfaction with the availability of Superchargers among Tesla owners.”
Tesla owners remain satisfied with the Tesla Supercharger network, as evidenced by a score of 743, down just two points from 2023. Non-Tesla owners are not quite as satisfied when using a Tesla Supercharger (706), but that score is 42 points higher than the overall satisfaction with dc fast chargers.
The biggest gaps between the satisfaction of Tesla and non-Tesla owners come in ease of payment and charging. Tesla offers its owners a virtually automatic plug-and-pay ability, not yet available to non-Tesla owners. Its Supercharger network is compatible with Tesla connectors, while current non-Tesla vehicles require the use of an adapter as part of the charging process.
Key findings
Satisfaction with charging speed varies by charger type. EV owners seem to have less patience for Level 2 public charging and are more satisfied with charging time at dc fast chargers. The attribute of speed of charging at Level 2 chargers has declined four points to 451 this year. EV owners are not especially happy with dc fast-charger charging times either, but the attribute achieves a score of 622, up considerably from 588 in 2023.
“Dc fast charger speed is an important area of progress for the industry this year,” Gruber said. “All charge-point operators improve in this area, particularly some of the non-Tesla networks, which is good news for the developing charging landscape.”
EV owners favour automatic payment. While those who drive conventional internal combustion engine (ICE) vehicles are content using credit or debit cards for fuel, EV owners prefer other payment alternatives such as Plug & Charge, which which automatically identifies the vehicle, connects to billing, and starts charging immediately. Satisfaction for those systems is 886 for ease of payment and 806 for ease of charging. Satisfaction among owners who use a manufacturer’s mobile app is 860 for ease of payment and 787 for ease of charging. Satisfaction among EV owners using a credit or debit card is lowest in ease of use (631) and ease of charging (596).
“The study shows that not only are fast charging sessions that utilize automatic payment systems more satisfying, but those sessions are also expedited by the streamlined process, saving EV owners precious time,” Gruber said. “Fast charging sessions utilizing automatic payment systems average 27 minutes in length, eight minutes faster than the extra steps required to pay with a credit or debit card, and seven minutes faster than third-party or charge point operator apps.”
Non-charge visits remain an issue. The study finds that 19% of EV owners reported visiting a charger but being unable to charge, showing only a slight improvement of one percentage point from 2023. While reasons vary by region, it is often due to the charger being out of service, which affected 61% of the failed visits. Lack of charger availability and/or over-long wait times was an issue affecting 20% or more of EV owners who experienced failed charging visits in the Middle Atlantic, Pacific, and East North Central regions. Damage to the cable or connector effected 10% of owners who had a failed charging visit.
“While this year’s study points to hopeful signs that the industry is moving in the right direction, concerning issues remain,” Gruber said. “Too often public charging is not a satisfying experience for EV owners. One issue is sheer availability. Sadly, the growth of public chargers, and especially dc fast chargers that EV owners increasingly favour, is not keeping up with the number of EVs in service. Another concern is theft and vandalism. Some charger facilities are experiencing a high rate of cable damage or theft which, for example, account for 14% of charging failures in the Mountain region. This further exacerbates the issue.”
Rankings
- Tesla Destination ranks highest among Level 2 charging stations, with a score of 658. Volta (645) ranks second and ChargePoint (626) ranks third.
- Tesla Supercharger ranks highest among dc fast chargers for a fourth consecutive year, with a score of 731. Again, it’s the only dc fast charger brand to rank above the segment average.
The US Electric Vehicle Experience (EVX) Public Charging Study, now in its fourth year, measures EV owners’ satisfaction with two types of public charge-point operators: Level 2 charging stations and dc fast-charger stations. Satisfaction is measured across 10 factors (in order of importance): ease of charging; speed of charging; physical condition of charging station; availability of chargers; convenience of this location; things to do while charging; how safe you feel at this location; ease of finding this location; cost of charging; and ease of payment.
The study is driven by a collaboration with PlugShare. The study examines consumer attitudes, behaviours, and satisfaction, setting the standard for the overall experience of public EV charging. Respondents included 9,605 owners of battery electric vehicles (BEVs) and plug-in hybrid electric vehicles (PHEVs). The study was fielded from January through June 2024.
View the full rankings here. For more information about the US Electric Vehicle Experience (EVX) Public Charging Study, click here.
You may also like:
Filed Under: Charging, Technology News