EVs still not as appealing as gas-powered cars, J.D. Power study shows

The highest-ranked premium brand was Porsche with a score of 888, a six point improvement from 2021. The highest-ranked mass market brand was Dodge for the third consecutive year with a score of 882.

“Dodge is a fantastic example of knowing who your customer base is, and marketing to them, getting them to buy your cars and then satisfying them,” David Amodeo, director of global automotive at J.D power, said. “Dodge is not for everyone…they found this niche in the market, and they’ve just targeted them and really appealed to them.”

Audi and Honda were the lowest ranked premium and mass market brands with a score of 847 and 824 respectively.

Dodge became the first domestic brand in 2020 to top Power’s APEAL and Initial Quality Study in the mass market segment in the same year. Ram, which led mass market brands in 2019 before Dodge moved to the lead spot, has ranked No. 2 for the last three years.

Jeff Kommor, the U.S. head of sales for Stellantis, said Dodge has done a good job of keeping its muscle cars relevant through the years with new colors and the ability to customize models. He pointed to the new Jailbreak option package on the 2022 Dodge Charger and Challenger SRT Hellcat Redeye Widebody models that unlocks ordering restrictions. The package allows owners to mix and match from a menu of features and hikes output to 807 hp thanks to a revised powertrain calibration.

Kommor said Challenger and Charger owners are “super passionate about their rides.”

The study also found that battery electric vehicles ranked lower than traditional gas powered vehicles with a score of 838 for BEVs as compared to 846 for gas powered vehicles. Tesla Motors, which received a score of 887, was not included in the BEV composite score due to concerns that “the brand’s dominance in the category would skew the results of all other BEVs.” Tesla is not rank-eligible because it does not allow J.D Power to survey owners in states where permission is required.

Satisfaction with fuel economy/range satisfaction decreased from last year amid a rise in gas prices, J.D Power said. Range/charging speed among BEV owners saw only a slight decrease in satisfaction from last year. Overall vehicle satisfaction fell one point on the 1,000 point scale, marking the first decline in eight years.