Public Charging Experience for Electric Vehicle Owners Can Get Much Better, J.D. Power Finds

While most electric vehicle (EV) owners primarily charge their vehicles at home, public charging
is a significant part of the EV ownership experience. Owners’ ability to recharge their vehicle’s
battery is a key factor in the broader adoption of EVs, particularly among those who can’t install
a private home charger or don’t have access to residential charging, such as city dwellers who
reside in multiple-occupancy buildings. In the inaugural J.D. Power U.S. Electric Vehicle
Experience (EVX) Public Charging Study, SM released today, Tesla Destination ranks highest
among Level 2 charge points operators with a score of 689 (on a 1,000-point scale) and Tesla
Supercharger ranks highest among DC (direct current) fast chargers with a score of 733.

“Public charging infrastructure is a key component in the overall adoption of electric vehicles by
the broad population,” said Brent Gruber, senior director of global automotive at J.D. Power.
“Unfortunately, the availability of public charging is the least satisfying aspect of owning an EV.
Owners are reasonably happy in situations where public charging is free, doesn’t require a wait
and the location offers other things to do—but that represents a best-case scenario. The
industry needs to make significant investment in public charging to assure a level of
convenience and satisfaction that will lure potentially skeptical consumers to EVs.”

The study measures EV owners’ satisfaction with two types of public charge points operators:
Level 2 charging stations and DC fast charger stations. Satisfaction is measured across 10
factors: ease of charging; speed of charging; cost of charging; ease of payment; ease of finding
this location; convenience of this location; things to do while charging; how safe you feel at this
location; availability of chargers; and cleanliness of this location.