TechTalk EV

Published on January 3rd, 2023 | by Sounder Rajen

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EV Powertrains Are Not The Issue, Other Technology Is

J.D Power seems to agree that EV tech is the real problem too

So we here at DSF have been quite vocal about our opinions on unnecessary technology in modern cars and how it is a major problem and have maintained that this is the main issue in electric vehicles (EVs) and cars in general and now a study from J.D Power seems to back up our theory.

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EV infotainment screen

This study found that EVs are far more problematic than the typical internal combustion engine (ICE) vehicle and while the immediate assumption may be that this is due to battery packs, charging systems, motors or the EV powertrain as a whole but it turns out this is simply not the case.

So what exactly is the reason that EVs are more prone to problems then? Well the J.D Power study concluded that it is all the other “weird and different” hardware, such as the modern technology and new interfaces that are described as being “different just for the sake of being different” that frustrate owners and cause trouble in the vehicles.

Moreover, J.D. Power’s director of global automotive and the person who oversees the U.S. Initial Quality Study (IQS), David Amodeo also stated, “the trouble comes when automakers are making their EVs conspicuously different to help overcome some of the anxiety and apprehension over the genre as a whole.”

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Volvo XC40 EV charging

On top of that, Amodeo also pointed out that many EV manufacturers have their own dedicated EV skateboard platforms to help their vehicles stand out from the norm. He said, “If you can wow them with more tech, if you can help justify the costs where they have to price it and everything but the kitchen sink in it.”

This echoes the sentiment we have about not just EVs but modern cars in general as new cars are purposely complicating things that ought to be simple just to justify their high prices. One good example would be the omission of buttons and dials in favor of complicated menus on a touch screen.

Additionally, infotainment systems issues, specifically, the Apple CarPlay and Android Auto integration in the infotainment systems were also cited as a major source of frustration for drivers. In EVs, this issue is even more prevalent due to the automakers brand apps and charging apps.

While all these issues are quite serious, perhaps the worst problem modern EVs and cars face is overly complicated but unreliable advanced driver assistance systems. The most commonly complained about feature by customers is the active lane control feature like lane keeping assist and active lane change.

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Kia EV6 EV unconventional gear selector

Of course, there are many more technological issues that EVs and modern cars face but for the most part, these are the main unnecessarily complicated technology features that many drivers say are the most frustrating to deal with.

We got all this from J.D Power. Thank you J.D Power for the information.

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