USCALE’s 2026 EV Satisfaction Study placed XPENG first, with an 82% recommendation rate against a 53% industry average. The Stuttgart-based consulting firm surveyed over 4000 customers in Germany, Austria and Switzerland. The result offers a measure of owner sentiment, while the study also points to software and charging as areas shaping expectations.
How did USCALE measure satisfaction?
USCALE used Net Promotor Score (NPS) methodology, a way of assessing whether customers recommend a product or service. The study examined factors including charging speed, range and overall product features. The supplied results do not provide separate scores for each factor, so they do not show how much each one contributed to the ranking.
What did the ranking find?
XPENG ranked above average across all categories and had only promoters, according to the source material. Customers were particularly satisfied with charging performance, charging management, range and app integration. Tesla took the runner-up position, while the material does not state the scores for Tesla or other manufacturers.
What changed in the latest study?
The source says XPENG’s score improved over the previous year and that the company ranked first for the second year in a row. It does not give the earlier recommendation rate, so the size of that improvement cannot be established from the reported figures. The ranking placed XPENG ahead of American, European and Asian manufacturers, but provides no complete brand-by-brand results in the supplied text.
Why are software and charging in focus?
Dr. Axel Sprenger, Founder & Managing Director of USCALE GmbH, said EV drivers are becoming more demanding as earlier strengths become standard expectations. He identified software, connectivity and a seamless charging experience as areas where manufacturers now compete. Those comments describe USCALE’s interpretation of the study; the available material does not offer separate measurements for connectivity or software.
What remains unclear after the results?
The source does not explain how respondents were recruited, how the surveyed customers were distributed among the three countries, or how the results varied by vehicle model. It also does not state the study’s full methodology beyond its use of NPS and its listed assessment factors. The next useful details would be the underlying category scores and the complete manufacturer ranking. Until those are available, the figures show reported recommendation rates and broad satisfaction patterns, rather than a full comparison of every EV.