The mobile apps developed for electric vehicles has steadily improved in recent years as automakers continue to invest in software development, according to the J.D. Power 2024 U.S. OEM EV App Report released last month.
Plus, more EV owners are using these apps than ever before for remote functions like heating or cooling the vehicle, or while driving. J.D. Power found that more than 90% of EV owners use their car brand’s mobile app, up from 88% in 2023 and 81% in 2022.
“The overall experience and performance of electric vehicle mobile apps has improved year over year, as manufacturers continue to identify areas of opportunity, including feature contenting, usability and overall connectivity,” said Jason Norton, director of benchmark consulting at J.D. Power, in the release. “However, a continued focus on the specific needs of EV owners is needed to further improve the user experience and trust.”
According to J.D. Power, EV owners mostly use their apps for charging purposes: monitoring their vehicle’s charging, integrating public chargers into the app and setting preferences for charging like inputting a schedule. The highest ranked mobile apps by consumers include those abilities, with more than 70% of EV owners naming 20 of the 25 most common EV mobile app features as desirable.
The study also revealed that mobile apps may influence buyers’ decisions when purchasing an EV. Nearly two out of three Tesla owners reported that the availability of a mobile app had an effect on their purchase decision, compared to roughly one in three non-Tesla EV owners.
Premium EV owners ranked Tesla’s mobile app highest in the J.D. Power study, followed by the Mercedes app and the BMW app, respectively. Mass-market EV owners said the best EV mobile apps belonged to Hyundai, Kia and Ford, in that order.
The report surveyed 1,300 EV owners in the U.S. about their app usage and preferred features, and assessed 44 EV apps based on standard best practices.
