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Time of India
13-06-2025
- Automotive
- Time of India
Charging electric cars, a bane of their owners, may be improving
Since Tesla installed its first Superchargers in 2012 for the exclusive use of its customers, owners of other electric cars have often felt like second-class citizens. They have wandered in search of electric oases in desolate parking lots, often making desperate calls to help centers after becoming stymied by balky or broken chargers. It's no surprise, then, that consumers rank problems with public electric vehicle charging and the time it takes to fuel up as their top two reasons for rejecting electric vehicles, according to J.D. Power. But help may finally be at hand. Automakers and charging companies are building new stations and updating their cars to allow drivers to more easily and quickly recharge their vehicles. They are also outfitting charging stations with more amenities such as food and bathrooms while making the devices more reliable. And because chargers are only as fast as the cars they connect with, automakers are designing new cars to absorb electricity at Usain Bolt-level speeds. In addition, many automakers have cut deals with Tesla allowing owners of other cars access to the company's fast-charging network, the largest in the country and widely considered the most reliable. There is early evidence that efforts to improve electric vehicle charging are paying off. In recent years, J.D. Power surveys showed that about 20% of attempts to charge electric vehicles at all public stations ended in failure because of faulty chargers, long lines or payment glitches. But in the first three months of 2025, overall failure rates fell to 16%, the biggest improvement since the surveys began in 2021. "The industry is finally elevating as a whole," said Brent Gruber, an executive director at J.D. Power. The number of chargers has also increased. There were about 55,200 fast chargers in the United States in May, up from 42,200 a year earlier, according to federal data. In February, a former Phillips 66 gas station in Apex, North Carolina, near Raleigh, became the first " Rechargery " from Ionna , a company created by eight automakers, including General Motors, Hyundai Motors, BMW and Mercedes-Benz. Their chargers can deliver up to 400 kilowatts of juice, far more than Tesla's 250-kilowatt Superchargers. Some cars can replenish a battery in 30 minutes or less at the higher charging speeds. When connected to chargers of 350 kilowatts or more, including those at Ionna and Electrify America, another fast-charging network, a Hyundai Ioniq 5, for example, can fill its electric "tank" from 10% to 80% in 18 minutes. That adds up to 220 miles of driving range, enough for more than three hours of highway cruising. That's quick enough to keep a road trip on schedule and the family refreshed. Ionna stations offer 24-hour service. The network has installed lighted canopies over chargers, and drivers can wait in lounges equipped with Wi-Fi, coffee bars and bathrooms while their vehicles are plugged in. Seth Cutler , Ionna's CEO, said the stations seek to transform an experience that many electric drivers dread. Public chargers are sometimes installed in sketchy places, including besides dumpsters in shopping malls and in dingy parking lots with no bathrooms or refreshments nearby. "Charging an EV takes a little time, so this is a place somebody might actually want to be in the middle of the night, and there's something to do while they're there," Cutler said. "People definitely don't want to be somewhere that feels unclean or unsafe." Ionna aims to install 10 to 12 fast-charging stalls per station. Chargers can connect directly to Teslas and vehicles that use the Combined Charging System plug, which is used by most other automakers. Since February, Ionna has opened 14 stations in several states and has acquired 200 sites around the country. Its target is to build a total of 30,000 charging bays by 2030. Some models from BMW, Hyundai and Kia have also enabled a national "Plug and Charge" standard that lets car owners begin charging their vehicles at Ionna stalls without first having to use a smartphone app or swipe a credit card, eliminating a cumbersome step that sometimes results in errors. Tesla's chargers have long worked this way for Tesla cars and now work with some other vehicles, like Rivian's SUVs and pickups. More cars and charging stations are expected to have plug-and-charge capability in the coming months. Gas stations and restaurants have also improved their charging game. Buc-ee's, the Texas-based gas chain that is famous for its sprawling stores and myriad food options, is working with Mercedes to offer "premium" charging that is powered by renewable energy. Waffle House plans to begin installing BP Pulse fast chargers next year. And GM and EVgo, a charging company, are building 500 stations with 2,000 stalls at Pilot and Flying J travel centers. Olabisi Boyle, an Ionna board member and Hyundai's senior vice president of product and mobility, said her company and other automakers were committed to improving access to charging. Automakers have realized that "EV charging wasn't just a thing you did on the side," Boyle said. "It's the future of the customer experience." But that doesn't mean the complications and problems will easily be dispensed with, especially when it comes to making cars and chargers play nicely with each other. Nearly every major automaker is redesigning their cars with plug outlets and software that are compatible with Tesla chargers. The North American Charging Standard, developed by Tesla, offers a further advantage of slimmer, lighter handles that are easier to plug into cars, including for seniors or people with disabilities. Hyundai's Ioniq 5 and Ioniq 9 SUVs are now shipping with those ports from a new factory in Georgia. But older Hyundais and most other electric cars still use the Combined Charging System plug and need adapters to connect to Tesla chargers. Compatibility issues between cars and chargers that use different charging standards have begun to show up in surveys about how many charging sessions end badly. In recent years, failure rates at Tesla stations hovered around 2% or 3% when only Tesla cars charged there. But since the automaker opened its chargers to cars from other brands, that rate has risen to 7%, according to J.D. Power. Gruber noted that those failure rates included drivers who gave up after encountering lines at chargers. Some Tesla drivers have expressed unhappiness at having to share chargers with other car brands. Rajiv Diwan , who helped spearhead a charger rollout for the New York Power Authority, called the industry's coalescing around Tesla's plug standard "a great move for the American market." But Diwan said other charging competitors did not appear to be moving fast enough to build stations to meet rising demand. He said the companies were often hamstrung by onerous construction and electricity costs and bureaucratic delays. "The industry always sugarcoats things, but charging is still hard for the average person to understand and deal with," he said. "People just want to get from Point A to Point B with as little fuss as possible, and that's not happening yet." Momentum may also be short-circuited by the Trump administration and Republicans in Congress, who have proposed repealing many federal incentives for electric cars and trucks. The administration has also stopped issuing grants to states to help build chargers under the $5 billion National Electric Vehicle Infrastructure Formula Program created during the Biden administration. "When we needed the whole ecosystem to come together and organize around NEVI, it's all been blown to bits," said Chris Nelder, an infrastructure expert and host of "The Energy Transition Show," a podcast. Gruber of J.D. Power said the federal charger grant program helped construct only a tiny fraction of new chargers. But the program was helpful in other ways. It published guidelines that helped automakers and charging companies work together and address technical problems. For the foreseeable future, Gruber said, the auto industry and state governments that care about addressing climate change will have to take the lead on getting more chargers built and improving their performance. "There's no doubt EVs are still the vehicle of the future," he said, "and I think the private sector will carry that torch forward."
Yahoo
03-06-2025
- Automotive
- Yahoo
Consumers sustain interest in EVs but range anxiety still a concern
This story was originally published on Automotive Dive. To receive daily news and insights, subscribe to our free daily Automotive Dive newsletter. Tariffs and political uncertainty have disrupted the automobile market, but consumers are no less likely to consider purchasing electric vehicles, according to a recent study by J.D. Power. The 2025 U.S. Electric Vehicle Consideration Study, released May 15, found that 59% of vehicle shoppers said they were at least somewhat likely to consider an EV — the same rate the study reported one year ago. Between January and April 2025, J.D. Power surveyed 8,164 people who were planning to purchase a vehicle within a year on their intent to consider an EV. Per the report, 24% of shoppers said they were 'very likely' to consider purchasing an EV, while 35% said they were 'somewhat likely.' In fact, according to April Cox Automotive data, the EV market continues to grow. Compared to the same period last year, U.S. EV sales increased 11.4% in the first quarter of 2025. 'Despite the market volatility, EVs have found a solid ground for consumer consideration,' Brent Gruber, executive director of the EV practice at J.D. Power, said in a statement. J.D. Power's findings shed light on consumer wants and needs, including the ways people shop for EVs and their biggest concerns with the vehicles. For instance, EV shoppers are likely to look at more vehicle brands — 'cross-shop' — than those shopping for ICE vehicles. The study reported that those likely to consider EVs look at an average 2.8 or 2.9 brands, while a previous J.D. Power study found that people shopping for gas-powered vehicles considered an average of 2.5 brands. 'As more EV options come to market, this should serve as an encouraging sign for automakers because it's an opportunity for them to gain a foothold and pull shoppers from outside their brands,' Gruber said, adding that the study revealed that EV shoppers also consider EVs from both mass market and luxury brands. Yet range anxiety remains a key concern, as 52% of vehicle shoppers cited charging station availability as a reason to forgo purchasing an EV. At the same time, another long-standing concern with EVs — their expense — fell in importance. The study found that 43% of shoppers said EV purchase price was a reason to avoid buying an EV, compared to 47% last year. In addition, 33% of shoppers stated they were concerned with EV cost of ownership, compared to 35% of shoppers in 2024. Much of the growth in EV sales can be attributed to more affordable, mass-market automakers such as General Motors. Still, the issue of EV affordability might box out the age group most interested in purchasing them — younger shoppers ages 25-49. 'It's an interesting dichotomy because younger consumers are the most receptive to EVs, but also the least likely to be able to afford them, while older consumers have the financial means but show less interest,' Gruber said. According to Gruber, the industry needs to focus on affordability and consumer education to continue to drive EV growth. Less expensive EVs would address what he described as the 'pent-up demand for more affordable products,' while improving consumer education could 'ease concerns' about EV ownership, as many, like public charging availability, 'are less problematic than they might seem when it comes to actually owning an EV,' he said. Recommended Reading New York expands EV purchase, charging equipment incentives
Yahoo
15-05-2025
- Automotive
- Yahoo
J.D. Power: Car buyers are still interested in EVs and Tesla alternatives
Despite the whirlwind of headlines about auto tariffs, EV mandates, and even the potential loss of EV tax credits, Americans are still very much interested in EVs. Including those not named Tesla. Consumer research group J.D. Power's latest EV consideration study found that 24% of car shoppers said they are "very likely" to consider purchasing an EV, and 35% said they are "somewhat likely," which is largely unchanged from a year ago. J.D. Power polled 8,164 consumers in January through April who intend to buy or lease a new vehicle in the next 12 months. "Despite the market volatility, EVs have found a solid ground for consumer consideration,' J.D. Power executive director of EV practice Brent Gruber said in a statement. Interestingly, with more options available, consumers are shopping across brands. Buyers are cross-shopping on average 2.9 brands when looking at EVs, versus two brands seen with gas-powered cars. And they are increasingly looking at EVs other than Tesla. J.D. Power found that the top five vehicle brands cross-shopped among purchasers interested in the Model Y SUV are Honda, Ford, BMW, Toyota, and Cadillac, in that order. "Manufacturers that didn't have electric vehicles before have now rounded out their portfolios with EV products, and so consumers are considering products from those other brands," Gruber said in an interview with Yahoo Finance. Honda's popular Prologue EV, Ford's Mustang Mach-E, and BMW products like the iX, i4, and i5 are gaining traction. Cadillac's Lyriq has been GM's top-selling EV for some time now. Read more: How your vehicle's make and model affect car insurance costs Gruber added that Tesla brand issues may be behind the cross-shopping. "There's certainly some consumer sentiment for and against some of the actions taken by Elon Musk in the political arena," Gruber said. "So we have seen some impact from that." But Gruber believes Tesla sales have been affected by the availability of new products coming to market, like the Prologue and Lyriq, rather than perceived brand issues. The broader EV market, however, faces a big headwind: the potential loss of the $7,500 federal EV tax credit. House Republicans are pushing a bill that would end the EV tax credit, a signature component of former President Biden's Inflation Reduction Act. Not surprisingly, Gruber believes this would create a major impact on EV sales. "You're potentially looking at a double whammy with tariffs and the elimination of the tax credit," Gruber said. "You're talking about what is conceivably a $12,000-plus swing on the price of an electric vehicle. So if those tax credits go away, you're going to see probably a slowdown in the level of interest for electric vehicles." Of course, it's not just a problem for consumers. It's also a major problem for automakers. Per current EPA rules, automakers need to sell EVs to meet federal emissions targets. If they do not, they're on the hook for billions in fines or must purchase carbon credits from companies like Tesla. "We believe the credits are critical for automakers to achieve current federal and state emissions standards," a spokesperson for the Alliance for Automotive Innovation, a trade group that represents several major automakers, said to Yahoo Finance. Pras Subramanian is a reporter for Yahoo Finance. You can follow him on X and on Instagram.
Yahoo
15-05-2025
- Automotive
- Yahoo
J.D. Power: Car buyers are still interested in EVs and Tesla alternatives
Despite the whirlwind of headlines about auto tariffs, EV mandates, and even the potential loss of EV tax credits, Americans are still very much interested in EVs. Including those not named Tesla. Consumer research group J.D. Power's latest EV consideration study found that 24% of car shoppers said they are "very likely" to consider purchasing an EV, and 35% said they are "somewhat likely," which is largely unchanged from a year ago. J.D. Power polled 8,164 consumers in January through April who intend to buy or lease a new vehicle in the next 12 months. "Despite the market volatility, EVs have found a solid ground for consumer consideration,' J.D. Power executive director of EV practice Brent Gruber said in a statement. Interestingly, with more options available, consumers are shopping across brands. Buyers are cross-shopping on average 2.9 brands when looking at EVs, versus two brands seen with gas-powered cars. And they are increasingly looking at EVs other than Tesla. J.D. Power found that the top five vehicle brands cross-shopped among purchasers interested in the Model Y SUV are Honda, Ford, BMW, Toyota, and Cadillac, in that order. "Manufacturers that didn't have electric vehicles before have now rounded out their portfolios with EV products, and so consumers are considering products from those other brands," Gruber said in an interview with Yahoo Finance. Honda's popular Prologue EV, Ford's Mustang Mach-E, and BMW products like the iX, i4, and i5 are gaining traction. Cadillac's Lyriq has been GM's top-selling EV for some time now. Read more: How your vehicle's make and model affect car insurance costs Gruber added that Tesla brand issues may be behind the cross-shopping. "There's certainly some consumer sentiment for and against some of the actions taken by Elon Musk in the political arena," Gruber said. "So we have seen some impact from that." But Gruber believes Tesla sales have been affected by the availability of new products coming to market, like the Prologue and Lyriq, rather than perceived brand issues. The broader EV market, however, faces a big headwind: the potential loss of the $7,500 federal EV tax credit. House Republicans are pushing a bill that would end the EV tax credit, a signature component of former President Biden's Inflation Reduction Act. Not surprisingly, Gruber believes this would create a major impact on EV sales. "You're potentially looking at a double whammy with tariffs and the elimination of the tax credit," Gruber said. "You're talking about what is conceivably a $12,000-plus swing on the price of an electric vehicle. So if those tax credits go away, you're going to see probably a slowdown in the level of interest for electric vehicles." Of course, it's not just a problem for consumers. It's also a major problem for automakers. Per current EPA rules, automakers need to sell EVs to meet federal emissions targets. If they do not, they're on the hook for billions in fines or must purchase carbon credits from companies like Tesla. "We believe the credits are critical for automakers to achieve current federal and state emissions standards," a spokesperson for the Alliance for Automotive Innovation, a trade group that represents several major automakers, said to Yahoo Finance. Pras Subramanian is a reporter for Yahoo Finance. You can follow him on X and on Instagram. Error in retrieving data Sign in to access your portfolio Error in retrieving data Error in retrieving data Error in retrieving data Error in retrieving data
Yahoo
15-05-2025
- Automotive
- Yahoo
EV outlook: This 'double whammy' could hike EV prices by $12K+
Electric vehicle (EV) buyers could face sticker shock if the EV tax credit gets repealed. J.D. Power executive director of EV practice Brent Gruber joins Asking for a Trend to explain how the new tariffs and potential loss of incentives could hit EV prices and demand. To watch more expert insights and analysis on the latest market action, check out more Asking for a Trend here. Error in retrieving data Sign in to access your portfolio Error in retrieving data Error in retrieving data Error in retrieving data Error in retrieving data
