CDK’s 2026 BEV Ownership Study Reveals That Current Owners Remain Overwhelmingly Satisfied

The transition to electric vehicles continues to gain momentum, even as the U.S. market experiences occasional setbacks. Automakers and policymakers have adjusted expectations around EV adoption timelines, but sales have begun to rebound, particularly in the used EV market. Now in its third year, CDK’s EV Ownership Study reveals that current battery electric vehicle (BEV) owners remain overwhelmingly satisfied with their decision to go electric and show stronger loyalty to the technology than ever before.

One challenge continues to stand out: charging infrastructure. While range anxiety has become less of a concern, owners still want charging to be more convenient. They are looking for chargers that are easier to find, more reliable, and capable of delivering faster charging speeds.

The findings highlight a significant increase in EV loyalty. An impressive 90% of owners say they plan to purchase another EV, up from 82% in 2025. Excluding baby boomers, that figure climbs to 94%. At the same time, 87% report saving money by driving an EV, compared with 77% last year.

When asked about their long-term vehicle plans, 73% said they will always own at least one EV. Only 11% expect to always keep a gas-powered vehicle, while just 1% said they plan to return exclusively to gasoline-powered transportation. Interest in gas vehicles and hybrids among current EV owners continues to decline, falling from 21% in 2025 to 15% in 2026.

Who Are Today’s EV Owners?

The study surveyed 552 EV owners. Most respondents are financially established and highly educated. Nearly 75% reported annual household incomes above $100,000, including 36% earning more than $200,000 annually.

The age distribution included 40% baby boomers and Silent Generation members, 22% Gen X, 21% older millennials, 14% younger millennials, and 3% Gen Z respondents.

Tesla owners represented 32% of participants, while 68% owned non-Tesla EVs. Educational attainment was also high, with 41% holding bachelor’s degrees, 26% holding master’s degrees, and 14% possessing doctoral or professional degrees.

The ownership landscape shifted noticeably in 2026. While 85% of respondents purchased new EVs in 2025, that figure fell to 74% this year. Used EV purchases increased substantially from 15% to 26%. Most respondents purchased their vehicles rather than leasing, with 84% choosing ownership and 16% leasing.

EV ownership experience varied considerably. Nearly 60% of respondents have owned an EV for four years or more, while 12% have owned one for less than a year. Another 11% reported one year of ownership, 10% reported two years, and 7% reported three years.

Why Drivers Choose Electric Vehicles

Environmental concerns emerged as the leading reason consumers purchase EVs, though motivations varied by age group. Overall, 25% cited environmental impact as their primary motivator, followed by cost effectiveness at 16%, advanced technology at 23%, vehicle performance at 12%, low maintenance costs at 10%, tax incentives at 4%, and other reasons at 11%.

Among baby boomers, environmental impact was particularly influential, motivating 38% of buyers. In contrast, younger generations were more likely to emphasize cost savings. Thirty-one percent of Gen Z respondents and 31% of older millennials identified cost effectiveness as their top reason for purchasing an EV.

EVs are increasingly becoming the primary vehicle in American households. Ninety percent of respondents said their EV serves as the main vehicle in their household, compared with 89% last year. A quarter of respondents reported living in EV-only households.

Although 48% still own a gas-powered vehicle alongside their EV, only 36% said they expect to always maintain a gas or hybrid vehicle in their household. That figure has dropped dramatically from 69% in 2025. Nine percent own a hybrid, 5% own a plug-in hybrid, and 28% own multiple EVs.

Charging Habits Continue to Evolve

Charging behavior changed noticeably compared with previous years. Daily charging remained steady at 34%, but more owners reported charging every other day or using less predictable schedules.

In 2026, 35% charged every other day, 22% charged every third day, 8% charged once every week, and 1% charged every ten days. Fourteen percent selected other charging patterns.

Home charging remains central to the EV ownership experience. Eighty-four percent of respondents have installed a home charging system, although 17% described the installation process as a hassle.

Cold Weather Still Impacts Range

Winter driving continues to affect EV performance. Eighty-three percent of owners reported experiencing reduced driving range during colder months.

Among those impacted, 30% reported a 20% reduction in range, another 30% experienced a 30% reduction, and 23% saw a 10% reduction. Only 15% reported no noticeable change in range during cold weather.

EV Owners Travel Far and Often

The study confirms that EV owners continue to drive significant distances. The average daily commute reached 18 miles, slightly higher than the previous year.

Road trips remain common. Twenty-two percent reported taking no road trips over 200 miles one way during the year, while 18% took one trip, 19% took two trips, 14% took three trips, 9% took four trips, 4% took five trips, and 15% took more than five long-distance journeys.

Long-distance travel distances were substantial. Twenty-eight percent had completed road trips exceeding 1,500 miles, while 24% reported journeys between 251 and 500 miles. Fourteen percent traveled between 501 and 750 miles, another 14% between 751 and 1,000 miles, and 14% between 1,001 and 1,250 miles.

Road Trip Challenges Persist

Despite growing satisfaction with EVs overall, long-distance travel still presents challenges. Sixty-six percent of owners reported encountering at least one problem during road trips, up from 55% in 2025.

The most common issue was arriving at charging stations only to find all chargers occupied. Forty-four percent experienced this problem, a sharp increase from 26% the previous year.

Other common frustrations included non-EVs blocking charging spaces (34%), non-operational chargers (33%), apps incorrectly showing chargers as available when they were not working (33%), charging failures caused by smartphone connectivity issues (29%), delays establishing charger connections through smartphone apps (26%), charging cables that were too short to reach the vehicle (14%), and incompatible charging plugs (8%).

Because of these challenges, EV travel requires more planning. Seventy-seven percent of respondents plan trips around available charging stations, while 72% choose hotels or Airbnb properties based on charger proximity.

Nearly nine out of ten owners (88%) said EV travel requires more planning than driving a gasoline vehicle. When asked how much extra time EV travel adds, 33% estimated approximately one hour, 24% estimated two hours, 17% estimated three hours, 7% estimated four or more hours, and 16% reported roughly 30 minutes of additional planning or travel time.

The Dealership Experience Is Changing

As non-Tesla automakers continue expanding their EV offerings, traditional dealerships are becoming increasingly important in the EV buying process.

Most buyers continue to test-drive before purchasing. Eighty-two percent reported taking a test drive before buying their EV.

Online sales also increased significantly. Fifty-eight percent purchased entirely through dealerships, down from 72% in 2025. Twenty-nine percent used a combination of online and dealership channels, while 13% completed the entire purchase online, up from just 4% a year earlier.

Salespeople appear to have less influence on purchase decisions than in previous years. Only 9% said a salesperson convinced them to purchase an EV, compared with 56% in 2025 and 61% in 2024. Today’s EV buyers are increasingly conducting their own research before entering a showroom.

Service Costs and Experience Improve

Service experiences improved substantially in 2026. Sixty-three percent of owners reported having service completed the same day they brought their vehicle in, compared with just 28% in 2025 and 40% in 2024.

Only 14% waited one day for service, 7% waited two days, 5% waited three days, 1% waited four days, 1% waited five days, and 12% waited longer than five days.

When comparing EV servicing to gasoline vehicles, owners reported spending approximately 39% less on maintenance and repairs.

Perceptions of service times varied. Among Tesla owners, 23% felt EV service took longer than servicing a gas vehicle. That figure increased to 34% among non-Tesla owners. Nearly half of all respondents said service times were about the same regardless of powertrain.

Battery Replacement Concerns Remain Limited

Battery life remains one of the most common concerns among prospective EV buyers. Although battery replacement can be expensive outside warranty coverage, actual replacement rates remain relatively low.

Only 14% of respondents expect they will need to replace their battery pack during ownership. Thirteen percent reported having already replaced a battery pack, and those replacements were completed under warranty coverage.

Given that 59% of respondents have owned an EV for more than four years, the findings suggest that battery reliability continues to meet owner expectations.

Satisfaction Reaches Record Levels

Perhaps the most striking finding from the study is the level of satisfaction among EV owners. Ninety-four percent said they are happy with their purchase, up dramatically from 73% in 2025.

Owners also reported strong enthusiasm for recommending EVs to others. Ninety-two percent have recommended an EV to friends or family, while 85% said their EV is the best vehicle they have ever owned. Seventy-nine percent described their EV as the best vehicle they have ever driven.

Looking ahead, 73% said their household will always include at least one EV, while only 11% expect to always maintain a gas-powered vehicle. Just 1% said they plan to return to an all-gasoline household.

The study’s Net Promoter Score reached +77, highlighting exceptionally strong customer satisfaction and loyalty. The message from current EV owners is clear: once drivers make the switch to electric, very few want to go back.