How Many EV Owners Regret Their Purchase? [Survey]

As electric vehicles (EVs) become more popular, not every owner is thrilled with their decision to go green. To better understand these feelings, we surveyed 501 American EV owners to gauge their regrets and frustrations. Along with this survey, we analyzed search data from the 100 most populated US cities, focusing on common EV complaints over the past year. This report sheds light on which brands and models are causing the most buyer's remorse and where these regrets are the highest.

Key Takeaways

• 1 in 10 EV owners regret their EV purchase.
• Over 1 in 10 Tesla CyberTruck owners regret their purchase.
• On average, EV owners charge their car outside their house 72 times per year, totaling roughly 58.8 hours.
• Overall, 8% of EV owners plan to switch back to a gas-powered car.
• Based on search volume, Orlando, Florida; Irvine, California; and Miami, Florida, are the cities most complaining or regretting their EV purchase.

Regret Rates Among EV Owners: Brands, Models, and More

• 1 in 10 EV owners report regretting their EV purchase.
• BMW EV owners (20%), Kia EV owners (15%), and Tesla owners (10%) are the most likely to regret their EV purchase.
• 22% of EV coupe owners regret their EV purchase.
• 13% of EV truck owners regret their EV purchase.
• Over 1 in 10 Tesla CyberTruck owners regret their purchase.
• Gen X EV owners are the most likely to regret their EV purchase (15%).
• New EV owners who purchased their EV less than a year ago are the most likely to regret their EV purchase (12%).
• On average, EV owners charge their car outside their house 6 times per month, for 49 minutes each time. This translates to 72 times per year, for a total of 58.8 hours.
• On average, EV owners who regret their purchase charge their vehicle outside their home 10 times per month, double the amount of those who don't regret their purchase.
• On average, EV owners spend 4 hours and 54 minutes charging their EV outside their house every month.
• BMW owners spend the longest (11 hours and 10 minutes).
• Tesla owners spend 6 hours and 3 minutes.
• 85% of EV owners who regret their EV purchase plan to switch back to a gas-powered vehicle.

Top Cities and Most Searched EV Complaints

To understand where and why EV frustrations are mounting, we analyzed search data from the 100 largest US cities. This data focused on over 20 common EV-related complaints and regrets over the past year. The result is an index ranging from 1 to 100 that shows where these issues are most prevalent. A higher index score indicates a higher level of dissatisfaction among EV owners in that city.

• The top 5 cities complaining or regretting their EV purchase the most are:

1. 1. Orlando, Florida
   2. Irvine, California
   3. Miami, Florida
   4. Atlanta, Georgia
   5. Frisco, Texas

• The most searched EV complaints or regrets* over the last year are:

1. 1. "Tesla repair"
   2. "Tesla problem" 
   3. "Electric car repair"
   4. "Tesla not charging" 
   5. "EV repair" 

     * Among the 100 most populous US cities

Methodology

For this study, we surveyed 501 American EV owners to learn about their experiences and any regrets they might have about their vehicles. We also analyzed Google Trends search volume data from the 100 largest US cities, focusing on over 20 terms related to EV complaints and regrets over the past year. Based on the total search volume among all terms, we generated an index displaying EV regret and complaint levels on a scale of 1 to 100, with 100 being the highest level of regret and complaint.

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