A South Korean model topped the latest mass-market battery electric vehicle (BEV) quality and reliability rankings, according to a US study released on Thursday.
The Kia Niro EV ranked highest in the mass market BEV segment for a second consecutive year with a score of 744 in JD Power’s Electric Vehicle Experience (EVX) Ownership Study.
The study found that Tesla’s Model 3 ranked highest overall and highest in the premium BEV segment with a score of 777.
The Ford Mustang Mach-E (741) came in behind Kia in the mass market ranking. Overall satisfaction in the mass market segment averages 709.
First-time owners of electric vehicles (TVs) were reluctant to switch back to petrol-engined cars even as concerns continued to loom about the availability of charging infrastructure, the report showed.
“We know from our research that many consumers have concerns during the purchase consideration process with aspects like battery range and vehicle charging,” Brent Gruber, senior director of global automotive at JD Power, said.
“However, once someone has purchased a BEV, they’re pretty much hooked. Making the initial leap of faith into owning a BEV is proving to be very satisfying.”
Gruber said what would keep first-time owners coming back to buy another BEV is the “compelling experience with the safety and technology features, lower service and maintenance costs, and pure driving enjoyment.”
He said new BEVs from traditional brands were helping to attract even more first-time buyers.
Sales of EVs in the US jumped to a record high earlier this month with 434,879 new units on the road.
- George Russell
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