Rivian may be a young company, but it is amassing a strong and loyal fanbase. According to the latest J.D. Power customer surveys, Rivian tops Tesla in buyer satisfaction.
Rivian owners have less buyer’s remorse than the rest of the EV industry, including Tesla. The company’s R1T pickup truck scored higher than Teslas in a new J.D. Power customer satisfaction survey.
This is the first time a non-Tesla car came top in the survey since it started two years ago.
J.D. Power’s executive director of EV practice, Brent Gruber, commented the survey shows a shift in how people judge EVs. The results reveal that consumers are more concerned with how an EV looks and drives instead of how long it can go on a single charge, which used to be important.
Gruber also said Tesla was finally upset from the top spot because of the increase in EV options and models. Consumers had less freedom to choose about a year ago when the R1T did not exist.
The electric pickup fared better than Tesla cars in terms of manufacturer’s range estimates. Owners also scored it higher in terms of the interior and exterior.
Rivian CEO RJ Scaringe called the result an endorsement of his company’s leadership in terms of an enjoyable ownership experience.
The survey reached more than 7,000 owners of 2022 and 2023 model-year EVs. The Mini Cooper Electric came second, while the Kia EV6 ranked third. In fourth place was the Tesla Model 3.
The R1T pulled off a miracle by dragging a 38,000-pound Semi that slid off the road in Utah.
