EVwire brief: The Tesla Model 3 ranks highest overall in JD Power's 2026 U.S. Electric Vehicle Experience (EVX) Ownership Study, with a score of 804 out of 1,000.
The Tesla Model Y follows at 797 and the BMW i4 at 795, rounding out the top three in the premium segment. Overall satisfaction among owners of new battery-electric vehicles reached its highest level since the study began in 2021.
Premium BEV owner satisfaction, 2026 JD Power EVX study (Source)
"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."
“Improvements in battery technology, charging infrastructure and overall vehicle performance have driven customer satisfaction to its highest level ever.”
Tesla VP of Vehicle Engineering Lars Moravy highlighted the results on X, framing the study as another reason to choose the brand. Here's the executive’s post on X:
Moravy added that Tesla also placed, in his words, an unofficial third in initial quality and first in the EV experience study.
The EVX study, now in its sixth year, measures owner satisfaction across the first year of ownership. JD Power surveyed 5,741 owners of 2025 and 2026 model-year BEVs and PHEVs from August through December 2025, scoring 10 factors that run from battery range accuracy to public charging and cost of ownership.
The Model 3 earned the highest score in JD Power’s EVX study
Context:
Nearly all owners of new BEVs, 96%, said they would consider buying or leasing another BEV for their next vehicle. Premium BEV satisfaction averaged 786, up from 756 a year earlier, while the mass market segment averaged 727.
The Ford Mustang Mach-E ranked highest in the mass market segment at 760, ahead of the Hyundai IONIQ 6 at 748 and the Kia EV9 at 745.
Mass market BEV owner satisfaction, 2026 JD Power EVX study (Source)
Public charging was the single most improved factor in both segments. The continued growth of public chargers and the opening of the Tesla Supercharger network lifted mass market charging satisfaction by 115 points to 511, and the premium segment by 101 points to 652. JD Power noted that Tesla owners' satisfaction is rebounding as they adapt to the network's expanded access.
Quality improved across the board. Premium BEVs cut problems by 15.9 per 100 vehicles to 75.0 PP100, the segment's best result in the current study, while mass market BEVs landed at 92.2 PP100. BEVs again outscored plug-in hybrids in both segments, with the widest gap on cost of ownership.
Source: JD Power
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