Electric Vehicle Owners Express Discontent Over Expensive Electricity Charging Fees
In a recent study by J.D. Power, the U.S. Electric Vehicle Experience (EVX) Home Charging Study, concerns surrounding home charging for electric vehicle (EV) owners have been identified. The study, conducted between November 2024 and January 2025, gathered responses from 10,472 owners of 2019-2025 model-year BEVs and PHEVs.
Home Charging Costs
One of the primary concerns for EV owners is the cost associated with home electricity consumption for charging their vehicles. Managing these costs effectively is a priority for users to make EV ownership more economical.
Connectivity Issues
Another major concern lies in the connectivity between home chargers and vehicles or networks. Many EV owners face problems maintaining stable communication for initiating and completing charging sessions.
Charging Speed
The speed at which vehicles charge at home is a common concern, as faster charging reduces downtime and enhances convenience.
The study and related analyses identify several solutions to address these concerns:
- To Lower Home Charging Costs: Some utilities offer time-of-use rates or EV-specific charging plans that encourage charging during off-peak hours to reduce costs.
- For Connectivity Issues: Improving the reliability of chargers through better hardware quality and consistent maintenance is key. Fragmented charging networks and different apps complicate the experience, so consolidating and standardizing the connectivity platform can help. Proactive maintenance and software upgrades have been stressed to ensure smooth interactions between the vehicle, charger, and payment systems.
- To Improve Charging Speed: Advances in Level 2 charging technology and hardware improvements are increasing charging speeds. Satisfaction with Level 2 charging speed increased in early 2025, indicating progress. Reliable access to faster charging stations and consistent performance is being prioritized.
Notably, Tesla ranked highest among Level 2 permanently mounted charging stations for the fifth consecutive year, with a score of 776. Level 2 portable chargers scored 714, while Level 2 permanently mounted chargers scored 733 on a 1,000-point scale. Level 1 portable chargers' satisfaction remained unchanged at 581.
The industry is focusing on system upgrades, user-friendly network consolidation, maintenance, and smarter utility pricing as solutions to address the concerns of EV owners. The study also reports an overall improvement in public charging reliability and availability, which indirectly supports home charging user experience by easing range anxiety and improving satisfaction with EV ownership.
Access to Level 2 charging at home is a key driver of overall EV satisfaction, according to Gruber. However, satisfaction levels vary significantly by region, with West Coast and Northeast owners reporting lower scores due to higher electricity costs.
The U.S. Electric Vehicle Experience (EVX) Home Charging Study is conducted in collaboration with PlugShare and serves as the industry benchmark for measuring satisfaction with key attributes of the EV home charging experience.
[1] J.D. Power (2025). U.S. Electric Vehicle Experience (EVX) Home Charging Study. [online] Available at: https://www.jdpower.com/business/resource/us-electric-vehicle-experience-evx-home-charging-study [Accessed 15 Mar. 2025].
[3] Gruber, S. (2025). J.D. Power: Home Charging Remains Central for Many Drivers. [online] Green Car Reports. Available at: https://www.greencarreports.com/news/1132949_jd-power-home-charging-remains-central-for-many-drivers [Accessed 15 Mar. 2025].
- For more economical electric vehicle (EV) ownership, personal-finance management of costs associated with home electricity consumption for charging vehicles is crucial. Improving the industry's time-of-use rates or EV-specific charging plans can help lower home charging costs for EV owners.
- To enhance the convenience of EV ownership, technology advancements in Level 2 charging can improve charging speed. The industry is focusing on improvements in Level 2 charging technology and hardware, prioritizing reliable access to faster charging stations and consistent performance, making charging more efficient and convenient for users.
