Apart from the direct-to-consumer model that has been adopted by Tesla TSLA, electric car buyers looking to adopt the efficient technology still have to face the relic that those buying gas-powered cars still have to deal with: the dreaded dealership.
Besides the shady sales tactics, haggling and other nonsense that buyers come to expect from a big dealership, J.D. Power found that there is another set of critical problems that electric car buyers have to face when buying their pride and joys.
In its 2023 U.S. Sales Satisfaction Index study, J.D. Power found some unfortunate information that sets electric vehicles apart from their gas-powered brethren at the dealers.
According to their data, people who bought normal gas powered cars reported that they were much more satisfied with the buying experience than those who bought an electric vehicle.
J.D. Power gives scores in customer satisfaction up to 1,000 points, and those who bought gas-powered cars in the consumer-priced "mass market" segment rated their experiences with a score of 848. In comparison, a similar "mass-market" buyer looking for an electric car rated their experience at just 790, a gap of 58 points.
This gap is also present in dealers that sell luxury and "premium" cars, with the regular posh cars getting a score of 866, and EVs at just 831; a gap of 35 points.
According to the study, EV buyers found that the overall buying experience is generally less satisfying compared to that of regular gas cars. Notably, they found that salespeople on showroom floors tended to lack knowledge about EVs, which resulted in lower satisfaction among electric buyers than gas car buyers.
J.D. Power also found that buyers were left in the dark when it came to critical information about seemingly normal parts of EV ownership. Over 30% of electric car buyers said that they would like additional information on their vehicle's maintenance schedule, while 7% said they'd like additional assistance on setting up home charging.
Additionally, and possibly most critically, 11% of EV buyers asked by J.D. Power said they would like further explanation on how to charge their vehicle at home or elsewhere.
“Buyers of ICE vehicles don’t need to be taught how to put fuel in the gas tank,” J.D. Power automotive retail vice president Chris Sutton said. “But salespeople need to show EV buyers how to charge their vehicles at home and what’s involved in using a public charging station.”
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These results are similar to the gaps in satisfaction recorded in J.D. Power's report last year, where the gaps between gas and EVs were 56 points with "mass market" cars and 33 points for "premium" cars.
“Explaining how to charge the vehicle should be a mandatory part of every EV delivery,” Sutton said last year. “Salespeople don’t need to show gas powered vehicle buyers how to fill their tank, but they do need to show EV buyers how to charge their vehicle.”
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