EV owners are embracing their companion mobile apps, according to a new J.D. Power report. Researchers say they've become a critical part of the ownership experience. Case in point, Car Pro Show host Jerry Reynolds, who currently leases an all-electric 2025 BMW 5 Series, uses his all the time.
"I can tell you that I use the My BMW EV app constantly! It tells me everything I need to know," said Car Pro Show host Jerry Reynolds.
According to the J.D. Power 2025 U.S. OEM EV App Report, app usage continues to climb, with owners using their app to unlock the vehicle remotely, and manage charging and cabin climate. But apps aren't without their issues. Researchers say satisfaction is still held back by connectivity issues, remote command speed and inconsistent feature performance. J.D. Power says more EV owners are expecting quick and integrated app functionality each time they drive.
“EV owners are telling J.D. Power exactly what they need: reliable performance and connectivity to interact with their vehicles,” said Violet Allmandinger, mobile apps lead at J.D. Power. “Top-performing apps deliver fast, consistent remote controls and have desired features. However, most other apps are still closing that gap.”
Here are some key findings from the 2025 report:
- EV app usage rising: Nearly one-third (32%) of non-Tesla users now use their app on every drive (up from 17% in 2024), while Tesla users are at 79%, up from 69% a year ago. J.D. Power says this reflects the growing reliance on apps for routine EV functions such as charge monitoring, pre-conditioning and route planning. However, satisfaction still lags due to slow connections and inconsistent performance.
- Distinct advantage in speed: The study found that nearly half (46%) of EV app users say 3-5 seconds is the longest acceptable delay for remote commands, while 40% of Tesla users expect responses in just 1-2 seconds. App speed remains the top driver of satisfaction. Tesla users place higher value on app speed (8.3 on a 10-point scale) than non-Tesla users (7.4) and are more satisfied (7.9) than non-Tesla users (5.5). Researchers say the small gap between expectation and satisfaction suggests that Tesla has a competitive edge in delivering on customers’ needs.
- Connectivity issues remain top frustration: Although connectivity has improved slightly, 37% of non-Tesla EV app users still have issues with losing connection or delayed updates, down from 40% in 2024. Tesla, on the other hand, has made significant improvement by reducing connectivity complaints to 19% from 35% year over year. J.D. Power says this reinforces the importance of frequent app updates to address issues and transparent communication to customers.
- Strong interest in EV features, yet low engagement among app users: While more than 70% of EV app users say they want features like charge scheduling, trip planning with charging stops and in-app payment for public charging, many non-Tesla users do not use these features. In fact, 43% of non-Tesla users have never tried to schedule a charge; 44% have never used the app to plan trips; and 54% have never attempted to pay for charging through the manufacturer’s app. Researchers say this gap suggests a lack of feature availability or limited awareness, both of which represent missed opportunities to improve satisfaction.
- Feature desirability continues to evolve: Several advanced features have seen year-over-year increases in desirability. Interest in adjusting driver profiles—such as enabling valet or guest mode—is up 6.3 percentage points, the largest gain. Other features with rising interest include remote window control (+3.7 percentage points); smartphone key access (+2.2 percentage points); and viewing vehicle cameras or security alerts (+1.7 percentage points). Core features like vehicle status, over-the-air updates and diagnostics/vehicle health checks continue to be desired by more than 90% of EV app users.
Report Rankings
Tesla (864) ranks highest overall and among premium manufacturer EV vehicle mobile apps. Mercedes-Benz (839) ranks second and My BMW (833) ranks third.
MyHyundai with Bluelink ranks highest among mass market manufacturer EV mobile apps with a score of 820 (on a 1,000-point scale). Kia Access (808) ranks second and MINI (797) ranks third.
About the Report
The U.S. OEM EV App Report, now in its fifth year, gauges EV owners’ experience with their brand’s mobile app. Researchers surveyed 1,966 U.S. EV owners and assessed the most relevant EV mobile apps to come up with their findings. J.D. Power says results are based on a standardized assessment approach relying on more than 350 best practices for vehicle apps that include more than 70 EV-specific attributes.
The report includes apps from the top 28 award-eligible brands that sell EVs in the United States; 10 profiled EV brands in China; and eight profiled EV brands in Europe. J.D. Power says says it included brands from China and Europe in the report given their expanding presence in the EV marketplace. U.S. EV owners included in the report were surveyed in March-April 2025 to gather insights on app usage; feature desirability; and app overall execution for the 2025 report.
For more on the U.S. OEM EV App Report, click here.