I hear a lot about the various EVs on the market and their drivetrain/software/ride quality but I rarely hear about the quality of service that comes post-purchase. Perhaps because it’s not an exciting topic.
Which brand would y’all say has the best or worst reputation in the regard? How would you say Chevy compares to Tesla or Hyundai?
I have had three brands of EVs: Chevy, BMW, and now Tesla.
The Chevy never required service. We barely drove it (it was my wife’s car and she didnt drive much) so it never hit any of the service milestones before we sold it. So sorry, no help there.
The BMW had several problems and spent a lot of time in the shop. Ultimately a mistake by the shop led to it catching on fire (not the battery or EV components). The BMW experience sucked ass with both of the dealerships I interacted with. I previously had multiple Infiniti vehicles and they were SO MUCH BETTER but had no EVs. 0/10, would not recommend, will never buy another BMW again.
Tesla’s customer service is supposedly terrible. I havent had to interact with it. I have had a couple of minor service issues and was able to book a mobile tech in the app. I was happy with all of the communication I had with them and having a tech come out to look at it. The experience for me there was great! Ive heard similar things from other owners about the mobile techs. Most of the complaints from from the actual service stations where they take care of the big issues. Unfortunately, I cant recommend Tesla for multiple reasons, the most practical being that I have driven their new vehicles without ultra sonic sensors and they are terrible. Im due for a new car in about a year, and it probably wont be a Tesla.
Ultimately, the legacy manufacturers already have reputations. Go based on that. Do you have a brand you like? Their EVs are probably fine, just find a dealership that has some experience with it (and make sure their EVs have good reviews, so probably not Toyota).