Connect with us

News

Tesla falls behind in J.D. Power owner satisfaction study

Credit: One Tire Fire | YouTube

Published

on

Tesla has fallen behind a few points on a recently published owner satisfaction study, with others such as Rivian, Porsche, and Jaguar landing some of the index’s top spots.

J.D. Power published its 2024 U.S. Automotive Performance, Execution and Layout (APEAL) Study last week, which measured owner satisfaction with their vehicles after 90 days of ownership. The index looked at responses from 99,144 owners of 2024 model year vehicles, noting that satisfaction for mainstream brands has increased from not resonating well with consumers in past years.

Tesla had an overall score of 870 in the evaluation, dropping from its 878 score in the 2023 APEAL Study. Meanwhile, OEMs like Porsche, BMW, Dodge, Ram, and several others saw their scores jump year over year.

Tesla is no longer just a luxury brand, says major auto outlet

Advertisement

“Traditional manufacturers have listened to the Voice of the Customer,” notes J.D. Power Senior Director of Auto Benchmarking Frank Hanley. “They’re launching enhanced vehicles that are more in line with what customers want, including improved interior storage and higher quality materials, as well as ensuring features have ease of use.

“For BEVs, recent launches from traditional manufacturers have surpassed perennial leader Tesla when it comes to owners’ level of emotional attachment and excitement with their new vehicle,” Hanley said.

J.D. Power also notes that the study took place from July 2023 through May 2024, based on vehicles registered from April 2023 through February 2024. The APEAL is now in its 29th year with the 2024 publication, requesting that vehicle owners consider their satisfaction with 37 separate vehicle factors.

Infotainment systems were the lowest-ranking across all the categories evaluated with an average of 823, though the figure still marked a 5-point improvement from last year. Vehicles using Android Auto or Apple CarPlay generally ranked better, with averages of 832 and 840, respectively.

Advertisement

Despite Rivian and Tesla gaining high scores on the overall evaluation, these automakers and Polestar were not awarded, due to the brands not meeting study award criteria.

“Since J.D. Power is prohibited by Tesla, Polestar and Rivian from sampling owners in all states, we are not able to include their models with rank eligible models from other manufacturers.” explains Hanley.

J.D. Power’s top-ranked vehicle brands in the 2024 APEAL Study

Top 10 premium brands by owner satisfaction

  1. Rivian (900)*
  2. Porsche (891)
  3. Jaguar (886)
  4. Land Rover (882)
  5. BMW (881)
  6. Mercedes-Benz (876)
  7. Lincoln (874)
  8. Genesis (873)
  9. Tesla (870)*
    premium segment average (870)
  10. Cadillac (868)

Top 10 mass-market brands by owner satisfaction

  1. MINI (858)
  2. Ram (854)
  3. Kia (853)
  4. Hyundai (846)
  5. GMC (845)
  6. Volkswagen (844)
  7. Buick (842)
  8. Chevrolet (841)
    mass-market segment average (838)
  9. Dodge (837)
  10. Honda (836)

*These brands did not meet the criteria for the APEAL Study’s awards, meaning that they were not rank-eligible, according to J.D. Power.

Other recent assessments from J.D. Power

Last month, Tesla, Rivian, and Polestar were given low ranks in the J.D. Power Initial Quality Study for 2024, as many battery-electric vehicles (BEVs) were reportedly found to require more repairs, in part due to including newer technology.

Advertisement

In May, J.D. Power ranked Tesla’s mobile app the best among several automakers, just ahead of Mercedes, BMW, and Genesis. The firm also said earlier this year that Mercedes-Benz and Tesla have the best websites in the industry.

Updated 7/29/24: Added second quote from Frank Hanley detailing the exclusion of Tesla, Rivian, and Polestar from awards.

RELATED:

Tesla urged to rethink unorthodox vehicle controls by traffic safety expert

Advertisement

What are your thoughts? Let me know at zach@teslarati.com, find me on X at @zacharyvisconti, or send us tips at tips@teslarati.com.

Zach is a renewable energy reporter who has been covering electric vehicles since 2020. He grew up in Fremont, California, and he currently lives in Colorado. His work has appeared in the Chicago Tribune, KRON4 San Francisco, FOX31 Denver, InsideEVs, CleanTechnica, and many other publications. When he isn't covering Tesla or other EV companies, you can find him writing and performing music, drinking a good cup of coffee, or hanging out with his cats, Banks and Freddie. Reach out at zach@teslarati.com, find him on X at @zacharyvisconti, or send us tips at tips@teslarati.com.

Advertisement
Comments

News

Tesla China focuses on local deliveries as Q1 enters final month

Tesla’s estimated delivery times for all variants of the Model 3 and Model Y in China were listed at just one to three weeks.

Published

on

Credit: Tesla Malaysia/X

Tesla’s delivery wait times in China have dropped to some of their shortest levels in years, an apparent hint that Giga Shanghai has largely cleared its order backlog and currently has strong production capacity.

As of February 26, estimated delivery times for all variants of the Model 3 and Model Y in China were listed at just one to three weeks, as per observations of Tesla China’s official webpages by CNEV Post

That marks a notable shift from the several-week or even two-month waits seen late last year.

The one-to-three-week delivery window suggests that Giga Shanghai is likely focusing on the local market, at least for now as the company enters the final month of the first quarter. Tesla China typically spends the first half of the quarter catering to markets that import vehicles from Giga Shanghai. 

Advertisement

Historically, when Tesla’s wait times in China compress to their shortest levels, the company often follows with fresh market actions.

In past cycles, shortened delivery timelines were followed by promotional activity. After delivery windows narrowed to one to three weeks in early 2024, for example, Tesla later introduced an RMB 10,000 instant discount on Model Y final payments that year.

To spur local demand, Tesla recently extended its seven-year ultra-low-interest and five-year interest-free financing offers through March 31. This marks the second extension of the policy this year.

So far, posts from the Tesla community suggest that interest in the company’s vehicles among consumers in China is still strong. Videos of busy delivery centers across China have been shared on social media.

Advertisement

China’s competitive EV landscape has evolved as of late. With regulators discouraging aggressive price wars, automakers are increasingly leaning on financing incentives instead of direct price cuts. Major players including BYD, NIO, XPeng, and Li Auto have introduced similar loan extensions and promotional financing packages.

Continue Reading

Elon Musk

Elon Musk’s The Boring Company closes Tunnel Vision Challenge

The Tunnel Vision Challenge invited individuals, companies, and governments to propose a tunnel project up to one mile long.

Published

on

Credit: The Boring Company/X

Elon Musk’s The Boring Company has officially closed submissions for its Tunnel Vision Challenge, confirming that a total of 487 entries were received before the deadline.

In a post on X, the company wrote, “Tunnel Vision Challenge is closed! 487 entries received – TBC team is excited to go through them all!” The company added that “We will select the top ~15 in the next week, and reach out with follow-up questions,” and that an “overall winner will be announced on March 23.”

The Tunnel Vision Challenge invited individuals, companies, and governments to propose a tunnel project up to one mile long with a 12-foot inner diameter. The winning entry will have its tunnel constructed free of charge.

Submissions could range from Loop passenger tunnels to freight, pedestrian, utility, or water tunnels. The only requirement was that the project clearly demonstrate how tunneling would meaningfully improve transportation or infrastructure between two points.

Advertisement

Just days before the deadline, the company provided an interim update noting that 407 entries had already been received. “Update on the Tunnel Vision Challenge – 1 mile of free tunnel! With 3 days left to submit, 407 entries have been received. Great to see enthusiasm for tunnels!” The Boring Company wrote at the time on X. By the close of submissions, the total had grown closer to 500 entries, hinting at strong interest in underground transportation solutions.

Entries are being evaluated on usefulness, stakeholder engagement, and technical, economic, and regulatory feasibility. Applicants were required to quantify projected benefits, such as time saved per rider or cost savings per shipment, and provide maps showing proposed alignments and other details. Submissions that included geotechnical or subsurface data are expected to receive additional consideration.

The Boring Company will fund the tunnel’s construction itself, though related infrastructure costs may be discussed with the winning team. The company also retains discretion to modify or cancel the challenge.

Advertisement
Continue Reading

Cybertruck

Tesla confirms date when new Cybertruck trim will go up in price

Tesla has officially revealed that this price will only be available until February 28, as the company has placed a banner atop the Design Configurator on its website reflecting this.

Published

on

Credit: Tesla

Tesla has confirmed the date when its newest Cybertruck trim level will increase in price, after CEO Elon Musk noted that the All-Wheel-Drive configuration of the all-electric pickup would only be priced at its near-bargain level for ten days.

Last week, Tesla launched the All-Wheel-Drive configuration of the Cybertruck. Priced at $59,990, the Cybertruck featured many excellent features and has seemingly brought some demand to the pickup, which has been underwhelming in terms of sales figures over the past couple of years.

Tesla launches new Cybertruck trim with more features than ever for a low price

When Tesla launched it, many fans and current owners mulled the possibility of ordering it. However,  Musk came out and said just hours after launching the pickup that Tesla would only keep it at the $59,990 price level for ten days.

What it would be priced at subsequently was totally dependent on how much demand Tesla felt for the new trim level, which is labeled as a “Dual Motor All-Wheel-Drive” configuration.

Tesla has officially revealed that this price will only be available until February 28, as the company has placed a banner atop the Design Configurator on its website reflecting this:

Many fans and owners have criticized Tesla’s decision to unveil a trim this way, and then price it at something, only to change that price a few days later based on how well it sells.

It seems the most ideal increase in price would be somewhere between $5,000 and $10,000, but it truly depends on how many orders Tesla sees for this new trim level. The next step up in configuration is the Premium All-Wheel-Drive, which is priced at $79,990.

The difference between the Dual Motor AWD Cybertruck and the Premium AWD configuration comes down to towing, interior quality, and general features. The base package is only capable of towing up to 7,500 pounds, while the Premium can handle 11,000 pounds. Additionally, the seats in the Premium build are Vegan Leather, while the base trim gets the textile seats.

It also has only 7 speakers compared to the 15 that the Premium trim has. Additionally, the base model does not have an adjustable ride height, although it does have a coil spring with an adaptive damping suspension package.

Continue Reading