USCALE conducts first European country comparison on satisfaction with electric vehicles

Electric vehicle (EV) drivers in Germany, the UK and France have similar driving habits. Nevertheless, their opinion of their electric vehicles differs considerably. While a whole range of technical functions are important to German EV drivers, when evaluating an electric car, drivers in France mainly focus on range. British EV drivers are somewhere in between in their judgement: Range is more important to them than to German EV drivers, but unlike the French, they take a more critical look at specific functions, such as ease of use and interaction of the vehicle with a connecting app.

These are the findings of the first cross-country satisfaction analysis carried out by the market research company USCALE. The study investigated whether consumers set the same priorities across countries and if car makers and service providers should design their products differently regarding the individual markets.

A comparison of the three countries clearly shows that German drivers pay close attention to the technical details and the design of technical concepts. When asked about the greatest potential for improvement, German EV drivers cite all technical features. For example: The charging speed is currently just as important as the range of the vehicle. German drivers also see a great need for action in the connective app, route planning and software quality. The British drivers, on the other hand, see the greatest need for action in the vehicle’s range, the charging time and energy consumption. Functions such as charging management and route planning are viewed as less critical. Among French EV drivers almost two thirds criticise the range. Consumption, charging time and the functionality of the vehicle’s connection app are of almost secondary importance. Apparently, the French drivers are largely tolerant with the technology, which is still less mature regarding EV use, than drivers used to combustion vehicles.

When specifically asked about problems that respondents had in their daily use of their vehicles, the topics differed less. Respondents from all three markets listed range, charging problems, noise and the performance of the connectivity app among the top four. However, there are two noticeable differences: German EV drivers have the most difficulties with charging. British and French drivers don’t experience many charging problems with but significantly and more frequently complain about the eco mode and how it supports range increase.

USCALE conducted the country comparison between June and September 2024. Over 8,500 drivers of complete battery powered electric vehicles were recruited via social media channels and access panels and asked about their preferences and experiences when using their electric vehicles in everyday life.

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„As the same vehicles are sold in all the countries and the analysed infrastructure is also comparable, the results are surprising. The country comparison clearly shows different consumer perceptions and different priorities when assessing an electric car. Both vehicle manufacturers and service partners should bear this in mind when they engage in the markets," comments Dr Axel Sprenger, founder and Managing Director of USCALE GmbH, on the European satisfaction comparison.

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