Burlington-based consumer products analysts say one-star reviews way up for electric vehicles
By Michael Bielawski
Customer reviews for EVs are not going well according to a report by Widewail, a Burlington-based company that analyzes reviews for consumer products.
“An analysis of 800,000 Google reviews from more than 16,000 new car dealerships found that 25% of customers who left a review after purchasing a car from a direct-to-consumer electric vehicle (EV) company, such as Tesla or Rivian, left a one-star review,” the report on VermontBiz.com states.
That’s in contrast with only 14% of customers who bought an EV from a traditional car dealership gave a one-star review. In both cases, it’s substantially higher than the auto industry average benchmark for dealerships which is about 7% of their reviews typically may get one star.
“So the high volume of negative reviews raises concern about the experience of buying and owning an EV,” the report states.
High costs
The report states, “Sticker shock is a top factor in a negative experience.”
The high cost of EVs continues to be a leading concern among consumers. The Widewail report notes that the average EV battery replacement is upwards of $5,000.
The cost could be much higher still were it not for contributing taxpayers. A study by the Texas Public Policy Foundation (TPPF) in October noted that when all state and federal subsidies are factored in, the true average cost of an EV comes to more than $48,000.
The TPPF report states that governments must “stop driving the American auto industry off an economic cliff and allow markets to drive further improvements in cost and efficiency.”
Customer service
According to the Widewail report, communication is key to a positive experience when getting cars maintenance. It states, “Communication is a leading subcategory, mentioned in 37% of negative reviews. Negative reviews also name wait time as an issue, mentioning it 3.1x more often in negatives than in positive reviews.”
The report includes samples from real reviews by disgruntled customers. A review by ‘Andy in Houston’ gives an example.
It states, “My truck was there for about 27 days, and not once did I get an update besides the one I got when I was provided with a loaner car. I was told that I needed one thing that would take 2-3 days.”
‘Matt in New York’ gave another negative review.
“Coil & engine light came on. Went to dealership. Held my car for 6 days. All They did was reset my car and charged $150 for diagnosing fee. One hour down the road car breaks down. Loose time, loose money, no accountability. Useless management didn’t return my call.”
Contribute to Vermont Daily Chronicle via Stripe.com – quick, easy, confidential
Sales are down
Pat Ryan, the CEO of the car shopping app CoPilot, recently told Forbes.com that while sales of EVs are generally up, they are also falling short of expectations.
“We’re seeing record sales, they’re less than expected,” he said. “And that’s simply because the auto manufacturers ignored the typical technology adoption cycle and assumed that EVs adoption would somehow be different than the way people generally adopt technology, and of course, they’re not.”
Consumer Reports highlights concerns
Consumer Reports put out a review of how EVs are working out for drivers earlier this year, the report was concerning.
TheWesternJournal.com reported, “The magazine and website noted that EV manufacturers are still learning to construct completely new power systems, and it suggested that as they do, the overall reliability of electric vehicles should improve.”
It also states, “EV owners most frequently reported troubles with battery and charging systems, as well as flaws in how the vehicles’ body panels and interior parts fit together.”
The author is a reporter for the Vermont Daily Chronicle
Discover more from Vermont Daily Chronicle
Subscribe to get the latest posts sent to your email.
Categories: Energy
They are too expensive, and the infrastructure to support it is a long way from being suffiently ready. Talk about “putting the cart before the horse” !
I’m pretty tired of funding people who are more wealthy than me with subsidies for new gadgets that don’t work well….
This headline is inaccurate and intentionally misleading. The survey was about satisfaction with dealers and delivery times, not about satisfaction with the cars.
No ev for me….EVER!!!
Is it me or do Prius’s always drive under the speed limit with a driver clutching the wheel with both hands while hovering over the wheel?
And you’re triggered by that, why? Would it be better if they drove above the speed limit with a cigarette and one hand and a phone in the other?
Oh no…I just think it’s funny – saving the climate in their Prius, but driving from a timid place. I’m not suggesting speeding with a cigarette at all. Driving that’s too slow, especially on highways with on and on ramps, can be just as dangerous. Driving in a place of fear is also dangerous. I was taught to obey the driving laws and drive with confidence:)
Lilly, I don’t know about that, but I have conducted my own non scientific study. Fact: 98 % of cars driving without proper nighttime illumination are Priuses. I’m thinking they’re trying to save battery charge. They sometimes have their front driving lights on but nothing in the rear. Nothing like that “oh $h!+” moment when you come up on a silver Prius in a snowstorm with NO rear lights whatsoever! I see this a lot, and yes almost every time…it’s a Prius! 😠
Wow! I hadn’t heard that! You’re probably right about saving the battery charge. Plus, if someone plows into a poorly lit Prius, what happens to that giant battery should it get damaged?
ev///electricity///vampire
According to my 80-20 rule, the maximum market for EVs is 20%, and that’s if consumers didn’t have the government shoving them down our throats. Whatever happened to free markets? Remember? When if you bought a piece of crap television made by Brand X, you never bought a television from Brand X again? So Brand X would fail if the problems with their televisions were widespread. At least at this point, you have to be in a very specific situation for an EV to make any sense to buy. For example, what happens when salt from the roads starts rotting away the EV batteries?
How the heck did we get away from free markets and pride in your product to “planned obsolescence”? Greed. Profit. Any how did we get away from selling the best product at the lowest price point, where the profit was in quantity? Now I’m told what they’re teaching our kids is to get the highest price people will pay for something, no matter how crappy the product. Make yours, and leave the problems to the consumers.
Hey to the Goverment! Stick EV Where the sun doesn’t Shine period!! Same to you Biden!!
Wake up Americans wake up!!
Yay, lets allow devices on the road that could be taken over by 12 year old hackers in a foreign country over the internet. What could possibly go wrong. Oh, don’t worry, the gas powered cars will all have it too, if they don’t already. Remember the, “should we turn off the cars in Russia” rhetoric? Does someone want you dead? Maybe your car will randomly fly into a tree some day and be reported as an accident. Maybe this is already happening and you wouldn’t know it. As an added bonus, when the economy is so bad that you might need to use your vehicle as an escape tool from carjackers on the highway, it will automatically shut down if your bumper taps something, leaving you a sitting duck with the groups of attackers that will be rampant in the streets. Happy New Year!