Overall satisfaction with customer service among new energy vehicle (NEV) owners in China rose to 778 points out of 1,000 in 2026, up three points year-on-year, according to J.D. Power’s China NEV Customer Service Index study, with NIO ranking highest among premium and domestic brands at 814 points. Li Auto led mass-market brands with 793 points.

The study found a clear structural divergence: energy service improved by 10 points, service initiation by seven and service reception by four, while usage consultation declined by five points, pointing to an industry-wide gap in response speed. Domestic startup brands improved fastest, up six points to 791, while international brands gained just one point to 778 and were the only category to see service quality decline.

Usage issues affected 46.1% of owners, up 12% year-on-year, with 85.5% involving non-fault problems such as operational complexity rather than defects. NEV accident repair costs ran 1.7 times higher than for combustion vehicles, and satisfaction among affected owners lagged the general repair population by 67 points.

In a statement, Ann Xie, Managing Director of Automotive Service Solutions at J.D. Power China, said: “The core battleground of the aftermarket has fully shifted from pursuing high transaction values to a fundamental contest over efficiency and trust.” She added that when budget deviations exceeded 10%, customer advocacy scores swung from positive to sharply negative.

Source: J.D. Power