Blog

Kia Niro EV Earns Top Spot in J.D. Power EV Study

Print Post

J.D. Power Electric Vehicle (EV) Ownership Study: What is it?

J.D. Power has recently released a study on the ownership of electric vehicles. The study focuses on how likely the EV owner would recommend their vehicle to a friend or family member. It covers almost all aspects of electric vehicle ownership including but not limited to cost-of-ownership, battery range, and driving enjoyment. The Kia Niro EV earned the top spot for “mass-market battery vehicles” which excluded more expensive EVs like Tesla.

“We are honoured to win the mass-market category in the EVx Ownership Study, which reinforces our leadership goal in the future mobility industry.” - Sean Yoon, president and CEO, Kia Motors America, Kia Motors North America.

J.D. Power surveyed over 10,000 EV owners to make the study as accurate as possible, the results can be seen below.

Key Findings and Trends:

The most impactful decision for EV buyers was the range of the battery, making up 20% of the satisfaction score. Even if drivers don’t use the full range, the peace of mind of having extra charge is critical for EV drivers.

The availability of public charge stations dramatically affects EV ownership satisfaction. As a U.S. based study, states like California and Washington had much better EV infrastructure compared to midwestern states. This, therefore, leads to a higher satisfaction wherever the EV infrastructure is fully supported.

Savings is a big motivation for switching from gas to electric vehicles. Despite a higher initial purchase cost, EVs have significantly lower operating costs, saving you money over time.

Finally and perhaps most surprisingly, driving enjoyment outweighs quality and reliability concerns for what is most important to an EV driver.

With this information, it's easy to see why the Niro comfortably received the top spot over the competition. The Niro’s thrilling 291 ft-lb of torque combined with Kia’s intuitive design, cutting edge technology and industry best warranty give it a leg up on the competition.

 

The Kia Niro EV

"At Kia, we are committed to delivering a world-class ownership experience, and as the brand prepares to introduce several new electric vehicles by 2025 under our Plan S strategy, we are proud that our current lineup is already successful among existing and potential EV drivers,” - Sean Yoon, president and CEO, Kia Motors America, Kia Motors North America.

 

Stop by Kia Victoria to see why the Kia Niro EV earned the top spot for yourself or check out our current selection of Niro EV!