JD Power has released its first benchmark study on user satisfaction and experience with electric vehicle smartphone apps.
The study focused on electric vehicles, as more than 50% of electric vehicle owners use their brands at least half of the time they drive. In contrast, gasoline car owners use their apps much less.
The study revealed that:
- 70% of electric vehicle owners have used their apps to monitor their state of charge.
- 85% want to be able to find a charging station on the road via their app
- 32% of drivers have never used their app because they don’t know how to use it
Additionally, the study found that owners want more apps, and only eight features were available across nearly all available apps. Advanced features such as a phone as a key are also desired but not widely offered.
Many owners don’t want to pay extra to access an app. In fact, the main reason owners stop using their app is because the free trial expires.
According to Fabian Chowantez, Director of Automotive Consulting, new players in the automotive market are struggling with their applications.
New EV startups need to better understand consumer expectations, ensuring their mobile apps meet the standards of established EV makers like Tesla and other brands that have already worked hard on their digital offerings. Many of these new players in the electric vehicle market do not provide the necessary app content that owners are looking for. For example, owners want the ability to find charging stations, configure the charging process, and information on electric driving or advanced technologies.
According to the benchmarking, the top performing EV applications were:
- You’re here
- Ford Pass
- MyHyundai
- Kia Access
- Genesis Smart Assistant
