Data Shows EV Owners Are Sticking with EVs

At the end of 2025, news stories about EVs talked about plummeting sales and even auto companies disinvesting in electric car production. But that’s not the whole story.

Almost all (96%) of owners of EVs and PHEVs (plug-in hybrids that have an EV-only capability) are very happy with their vehicles and intend to purchase an electrified vehicle the next time they shop for a new vehicle, according to research. Significantly, a survey done during a period that included after the end of the federal tax incentives found this sentiment. The study is an annual one done by JD Power, a data analytics, software and consumer intelligence company. It showed solid increases in consumer’s satisfaction with their EVs and quality improvements, especially in premium EVs.

“EV market share has declined sharply following the discontinuation of the federal tax credit program in September 2025, but that dip belies steadily growing customer satisfaction among owners of new EVs,” said Brent Gruber, executive director of the EV practice at JD Power. “Improvements in battery technology, charging infrastructure and overall vehicle performance have driven customer satisfaction to its highest level ever. What’s more, the vast majority of current EV owners say they will consider purchasing another EV for their next vehicle, regardless of whether they benefited from the now-expired federal tax credit.”

What that means is last year’s spike in EV purchases ahead of the end of the tax credit was no fluke. There is a good chance that high-water mark in EV ownership may become the floor for future growth. Happy car owners tend to spread the word to friends and neighbors.

JD Power’s study also ranked the models whose owners gave them highest marks. In the premium segment (which covered 37 models), the best-sellers from Tesla (Model 3 and Model Y) ranking first and second. The BMW i4 sedan came in third. Among mass market models, the top three were the Ford Mustang Mach-E, Hyundai Ioniq 6 and Kia EV9.

PHEV owners were less-satisfied with their vehicles than EV owners were. Both segments benefited from improved battery performance and more prevalent charging infrastructure. The JD Power study, called the U.S. Electric Vehicle Experience (EVX) Ownership Study, is in its sixth year. It asked owners to rate their cars on 10 factors:

• Cost of ownership
• Availability of public charging stations
• Ease of charging at home
• Battery range
• Accuracy of stated battery range
• Vehicle quality and reliability
• Safety and technology features
• Service experience
• Driving enjoyment
• Interior and exterior styling

JD Power did the survey in collaboration with PlugShare, a leading EV driver app maker and research firm. The subjects were owners of 2025 and 2026 model year EVs and PHEVs.

Given this survey’s findings, coupled with several new, more affordable EVs coming on the market this year and an expected 200,000 EVs coming off short-term leases, it appears the electric car market will do quite well.

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About the author

Michael Coates is an internationally recognized expert on automotive environmental issues. He publishes the Clean Fleet Report (https://cleanfleetreport.com/), writes for a variety of publications and also consults in the automotive industry.