Tesla owners in Germany, Austria and Switzerland are once more among the most satisfied EV drivers. In USCALE's EV Satisfaction Study 2026, Tesla is back in second place on owners' willingness to recommend their car, after finishing sixth a year earlier. XPeng keeps first place, Škoda is third and Porsche fourth, while Opel, Fiat and MG sit at the bottom, ecomento reports.
The Stuttgart research firm surveyed 4,004 EV drivers online in June and July 2026, across the three German-speaking markets.
Satisfaction is at a record
The study's net promoter score, the share of owners who would recommend their car minus the share who would advise against it, rose from 33 to 38 points. That is the highest value in the series and the third rise in a row. Across all brands, 53% of owners are promoters, 15% are detractors and 32% are neutral.
| All brands | 2025 | 2026 |
|---|---|---|
| Net promoter score | 33 | 38 |
| Real summer range above 400 km | 50% | 59% |
| DC charging at 150 kW or more | 75% | 77% |
| Owners reporting charging problems | 73% | 71% |
| Owners reporting app problems | 50% | 48% |
Expectations are rising with the hardware. Only 75% of owners now rate a 400 km summer range as good or very good (2025: 79%), and only 58% say the same of 150 kW charging (2025: 65%). Starting a charging session and unexpectedly low charging power are the most common charging complaints.
Where Tesla wins, and where it does not
Tesla's owners rate it above average in almost every EV-specific category, led by software, the app, route planning and energy consumption. The app is the clearest gap to the rest of the market: 8% of Tesla drivers report app problems, against 48% across all brands and 92% at Opel.
The weak point is charging power. More than half of Tesla drivers criticise it, according to the study. That is exactly where the leader is strongest: XPeng's owners are most convinced by its charging power, charging management and range. Tesla owners also criticise acoustics and build quality, although both have improved, and many of their requests concern the driver-assistance systems.
What to read into it
The ranking measures how owners feel about cars they already drive. It is not a test, and it covers only German-speaking markets. One important newcomer is missing: BMW's Neue Klasse, on sale since mid-2026, is not included. Mercedes, by contrast, made a large jump in range, consumption and charging power with the CLA and GLB on its new MMA platform.
Across all brands, owners most want better software quality (44%), ahead of charging power (42%), the app (39%), route planning (35%) and range (34%). For a prospective Tesla buyer, the study confirms software and the app as the brand's strengths, and charging power as the gap to the best of its rivals.
USCALE's separate charging-services study earlier this month found that only 13% of Germany's non-Tesla EV drivers use a Supercharger.