EV owners are far less satisfied with their home charging experience than the same time last year, according to new results from survey company JD Power. The reason, it has been suggested, is satisfaction with the cost of charging, which fell by about 30 points compared to the same study last year. As satisfaction with gasoline vehicles fluctuates with the roller coaster of gasoline prices, a significant increase in residential electricity prices appears to have played a role in satisfaction with EV charging. According to the US Energy Information Administration (EIA), average residential end-use electricity costs rose from 13.72 cents per kwh in December 2021 to 14.96 cents per kwh in December 2022 – an increase of nearly 9%, and the highest year-over-year in over a decade. Yearly price hikes. The energy hike was particularly painful in New England, which already has the most expensive electricity in the country. There, it rose from 22.07 cents to 27.04 cents per kwh over the same period – an increase of about 23%. Even the 2022 GM Altium charger lineup for home charging does little to erase the cost benefits of these price increases EVs. Gas vehicles can cost up to six times more to run per mile than EVs. The US Electric Vehicle Experience Home Charging Study was conducted between December 2022 and February 2023 and included 13,860 owners of 2017-2023 model year EVs and plug-in hybrids. JD Power noted growing regional differences in these results, with New England, where residential electricity prices are the highest in the nation, experiencing the largest drop in satisfaction. East South Madhya Pradesh, offering one of the lowest average prices, ranks highest. EV owners are also less satisfied with their charging speeds, Power observes, a trend that may be closely related to the increasing size of EV battery packs. The survey company also showed that those with permanent (post- or wall-mounted) Level 2 chargers were the most satisfied, while those relying on mobile Level 2 charging connectors or Level 1 charging were surprisingly the least satisfied. Tesla Charging In this year’s survey, Tesla’s permanent Level 2 chargers topped, again, followed by the Grizzl-E, Emporia and ClipperCreek all above the segment average, while chargers from Chevrolet, Ford, Electrify America and Juicebox were the lowest. Levels of satisfaction. Separately, those who used charge scheduling were more satisfied — with higher ratings for those using the automaker’s mobile app versus the charger’s mobile app. Many buyers can potentially ease into the financial pinch they’re experiencing, either in charge rates, costs, or both. JD Power continues to note that awareness of charging and specifically programs that can save money with charger installation or upgrades is low.
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