EV apps—love ‘em or hate ‘em, they’re here to stay. A new study from auto market analyst J.D. Power indicates that an increasing number of EV drivers love ‘em—or at least, use ‘em regularly. (We’re talking about the apps provided by vehicle OEMs, not the far less popular apps required by public charge point operators.)
“Companion mobile apps have become a critical part of the EV ownership experience,” says J.D. “From unlocking the vehicle to remotely managing charging and climate, EV apps now serve as an extension of the vehicle itself.”
The J.D. Power 2025 U.S. OEM EV App Report, now in its fifth year, gauges EV owners’ experience with their brand’s mobile apps, based on surveys of EV owners and an assessment of apps from the top 28 brands that sell EVs in the US, plus 10 EV brands in China and 8 in Europe. J.D. Power surveyed 1,966 EV owners in the US in March-April 2025.
The report’s main conclusion: “EV app usage continues to climb, though satisfaction is still held back by connectivity issues, remote command speed and inconsistent feature performance.”
“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.”
Drivers use their apps for EV functions such as charge monitoring, pre-conditioning and route planning. EV app usage is high, and rising: some 32% of non-Tesla users surveyed said they use their apps on every drive (up from 17% in 2024). Tesla drivers are far more app-happy: 79% of them said they consistently use the Tesla app (up from 69% in 2024).
Tesla drivers are also more satisfied with their apps’ speed and connectivity. In fact, the Tesla app ranked the highest in customer satisfaction, with a score of 864 (on a 1,000-point scale). Mercedes-Benz (839) and My BMW (833) also made the podium, followed by MyHyundai with Bluelink (820) and Kia Access (808).
Source: J.D. Power
