Industry: Government

Is U.S. EV Infrastructure Ready for the Great American Summer Road Trip? It Depends on Where You Want to Go.

E-Vision Intelligence Report
July 2023

Is U.S. EV Infrastructure Ready for the Great American Summer Road Trip? It Depends on Where You Want to Go.

Key Findings 

  • Big Gaps in Western EV Corridor: Governors from eight Western states—Arizona, Colorado, Idaho, Montana, Nevada, New Mexico, Utah and Wyoming—committed to an initiative focused on creating an EV Corridor that will have EV charging stations within 50-100 miles of one another. Currently, many stretches between these states—and major summer tourist destinations like Zion National Park, Las Vegas and Salt Lake City—can reach upwards of 270 miles with limited charging availability, pushing the range limits of many popular EVs. 
  • Widespread State-by-State Variation in EV Operating Costs: The introduction of federal subsidies for EVs in the Inflation Reduction Act (IRA) has significantly improved overall EV affordability but, at the state level, ownership costs vary considerably. For example, total 5-year operating costs for the popular F-150 Lightning is $1,010 cheaper in Texas than New York. 
  • Rivian Rises in the EV Pickup Discussion: Although the Ford F-150 Lightning is among the top vehicles considered, the Rivian R1T is gaining sales traction that puts it on par with F-150 Lightning sales for the past four months.

Executive Summary

Some 43.2 million people jumped in their cars for a summer road trip this July 4 weekend, according to AAA data, an increase of 2.4% during the past year and 4% higher than 2019. With record crowds continuing to swarm the nation’s national parks, hot spots like Zion, Yellowstone, Arches and others have made the western U.S. the ultimate destination for the Great American Road Trip. Which begs the question: Can you conquer the epic Western journey in an electric vehicle (EV)?

Right now, the answer to that question really depends on your route. While several initiatives have been launched nationwide to spur EV infrastructure growth and make charging stations available across all major transportation corridors, there are still some big gaps in existing EV charging infrastructure.

This E-Vision Intelligence Report dives into key data points trending in each monthly EV Index update, along with other data points gathered from JD Power studies and pulse surveys, to spotlight emerging trends and important shifts in EV consumer sentiment.

Go West! But Check a Charger Map First 

Nationwide, consumer EV adoption continues to outpace charging infrastructure growth. According to the JD Power EV Index, infrastructure scores are down 4 points (on a 100-point index) in May 2023 vs. the same period in 2022. Charger availability continues to vary widely by state, with some states, like California, offering an average distance between charging ports of just 10 miles, and others, like Nebraska, stretching that average distance between chargers to 465 miles.

That widespread variability of infrastructure puts the focus squarely on rural Western states like Arizona, Colorado, Idaho, Montana, Nevada, New Mexico, Utah and Wyoming, which are prime destinations for summer road trippers out to visit the national parks and other bucket list destinations. In October 2017, the governors of these eight states signed a pact to work together to make it possible to seamlessly drive an EV across the western states’ major transportation corridors. This initiative set out to make charging stations available within every 50-100 miles, ensure they were accessible within 0.5 miles of a highway interchange or exit, and introduce other standards to make EV charging infrastructure ubiquitous. 

According to JD Power EV Index data, they still have a long way to go. Through May 2023, the eight western states had a combined Infrastructure score of just 27.3, which is 7.7 index points lower than the national average. Colorado leads the way with a score of 39.9 and Idaho is lowest with a score of 16.2. 

zip code level infrastructure highlights charging gaps

Digging deeper, we find that some major routes could test the range limits of many current EVs. The route from Salt Lake City to Zion National Park, for example, is a 270-mile stretch in which EV charger availability is extremely limited. 

Graph showing limited EV charging options in Utah

Cost of Ownership Varies by State 

It’s not just charging infrastructure availability that varies considerably on a state-to-state basis. While overall affordability scores are up 2.3 index points this month, some significant gaps are starting to emerge in total ownership cost at the state level. Largely driven by energy costs and variation in state incentives, total five-year operating costs for the F-150 Lightning is $1,010 higher in New York than it is in Texas, for example. 

a graph

 

Digging into specific EV models and specifications, costs vary even further. The Ford F-150 Lightning, for example, which is seeing the highest sales volumes in California, Florida, New York and Texas, varies in average total cost of ownership on a five-year purchase from a low of $82,740 in New York to a high of $94,031 in Texas, based on pricing calculated prior to Ford’s recently announced price cuts on the F-150 Lightning. 

Speaking of Pick-Ups… 

Any discussion of Great American Road Trips and the American love affair with the pick-up truck would not be complete without acknowledging recent sales and consideration trends in the category. The Ford F-150 Lightning has consistently scored high marks in terms of EV shopper consideration and currently ranks as the most-considered EV in the country this month. Not to be overlooked, however, the Rivian R1T has increased deliveries and has been giving Lightning a run for its EV truck sales crown over the last four months. It does raise the question of whether an upstart EV brand can compete in the land of the Big Three full-size pick-up. 

Methodology 

This JD Power E-Vision Intelligence Report is based on data and insights from the JD Power EV Index, the JD Power 2023 U.S. Electric Vehicle Experience (EVX) Public Charging Study, and the JD Power 2023 U.S. Electric Vehicle Consideration (EVC) Study. The JD Power EV Index is an analytics tool to benchmark the growing EV market in the United States. It tracks millions of data points aggregated into six categories—interest, availability, adoption, affordability, infrastructure and experience—to evaluate the progress to parity of EVs with ICE vehicles in the U.S. Each month, the JD Power electric vehicle practice will analyze these data points, and others to spotlight emerging trends and important shifts in consumer sentiment that are helping to define the fast-moving EV marketplace. 

Find out More 

This report was authored by Elizabeth Krear, vice president, electric vehicle practice; Brent Gruber, executive director, electric vehicle practice; Stewart Stropp, executive director, electric vehicle practice; and Kristen Richter, senior manager, electric vehicle practice. The JD Power E-Vision initiative is a company-wide program focused on maximizing JD Power industry-leading EV data, analytics, insights and solutions. Please contact us at the numbers below to connect with the authors or to learn more about the underlying research. 

 

Media Contacts 

Shane Smith; East Coast; 424-903-3665; [email protected]

Geno Effler, JD Power; West Coast; 714-621-6224; [email protected] 

 

Video | What Not To Do: Mistakes in Customer Experience Programs OLD

Rick Johnson, Director of the Government and Healthcare Practices at JD Power, shares the top five mistakes he sees in customer experience programs and how to avoid them, including:

  • Only measuring what you’re good at
  • Not holding partners accountable
  • Only measuring your current initiatives or not measuring your current initiatives
  • Watch the video below to learn the last two pitfalls

 

Marketplace Exchange and Traditional Health Insurance Member Experiences

Did you know…Health insurance marketplace exchange enrollees are more likely than traditional plan members to have contacted their plan within the past 12 months? In fact, 65% of marketplace enrollees contacted their health plan within the last year. Download a complimentary infographic to learn about the differences in member experiences among those who purchased their plan through the exchange compared to those that purchased their plan off-exchange.

What Will Customer Service Look Like in a Clinton or Trump Administration?

What Will Customer Service Look Like in a Clinton or Trump Administration?

An article written by Rick Johnson, director of the Government and Healthcare Practices at JD Power, featured in the publication, Government Executive.

Amid the reality-TV style coverage of the presidential election this year, it’s easy to forget that, at the end of these campaigns, Hillary Clinton or Donald Trump will have a government to run. Although President Obama’s Executive Order 13571 is aimed at improving the customer experience, there is still important work to do in order to give constituents the service they deserve from Federal agencies.

Despite concerted efforts since the mid-1990s to measure and improve citizen satisfaction with Federal service, government agencies continue to lag behind in satisfaction, compared with most private sector services. Unfortunately, the Federal government’s current effort to evaluate the customer experience is a patchwork of programs— some are thoughtful, comprehensive, and include data-driven takeaways on how to improve, while others fall short.

Although working with the government is typically different than working with the private sector, consumers of government products and services compare their experiences in the public sector to those they have in the private sector. Measuring and comparing key attributes and factors—such as wait time, problem resolution, courtesy of staff, and online servicing—with the private sector, as well as government agencies will offer critical benchmarks that can be used to guide improvement efforts.

Read the full article >>

U.S. Social Media Benchmark Study: Government

The Challenge

To maximize the benefits of connecting and communicating with citizens through social media, governmental entities must:

  • Determine whether social media efforts are reaching the target audience
  • Determine which metrics should be tracked in order to measure success and ensure customer satisfaction
  • Identify which tactical efforts have the greatest potential for improving current social media approaches
  • Present a credible plan to internal decision-makers that supports investing in a strong social media strategy
  • Determine which social media practices to implement and prioritize

The Solution

The JD Power 2014 Social Media Benchmark Study,SM scheduled to publish in April 2014, measures customer satisfaction with the social media efforts of governmental entities and private companies. The study compares your organization’s results with those of other governmental entities and companies across the private sector in order to highlight best practices that could be of benefit to the government.

The Benefits

The 2014 Social Media Benchmark Study can help you understand how your target audience wants to engage via social media and where you should focus your social efforts. The study can also help you maximize your organization’s efforts by:

  • Objectively defining the key metrics that drive positive customer experiences and determining which areas need improvement, as well as identifying the tactics that are most likely to enhance your organization’s social efforts
  • Ensuring customer satisfaction by understanding how your organization’s social efforts compare with those of other governmental entities and companies in the private sector across all performance levels—and by keeping abreast of best practices
  • Building a strong business case by using quantifiable data in presentations to internal decision-makers that substantiate the value of investing in a strong social media strategy