Covering the automotive industry these days often feels like trying to hit a moving target blindfolded or playing an endless round of Whack-a-Mole. Yet somehow, amid all the chaos, flip-flopping policies, and doom scrolling, EV owners are happier than they've ever been. Shocked? Yeah, me too. That's why I'm happy to welcome back Brent Gruber, Executive Director of the EV Practice at JD Power, to talk about the 2026 Electric Vehicle Experience (EVX) Ownership Study. He breaks down exactly why satisfaction has hit an all-time high heading into 2026: massive leaps in battery tech, far more accurate range estimates, and finally (yes, finally!) better public charging availability and reliability. We also unpack the satisfaction gap between premium and mass-market EVs, and the eye-popping stat that 96% of current EV owners would happily jump back into another one despite all the noise about slowing sales. Plus, Brent explains how the incoming flood of used and off-lease EVs is about to make electric driving way more affordable.

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The Tom Selleck meme mentioned at 13:25

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EV Owner Satisfaction Climbs to New High Amid Sales Slump, JD Power Finds

https://www.jdpower.com/business/press-releases/2026-us-electric-vehicle-experience-evx-ownership-study

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Connect with Brett Gruber on LinkedIn

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Connect with Elena:

https://evs4everyone.com/

https://www.linkedin.com/in/elenaciccotelli/

Let's talk on X:

https://twitter.com/EVs_forEveryone

Are you connected with the show on LinkedIn?

https://www.linkedin.com/company/the-evs-for-everyone-podcast/

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Uber’s letting you hail the future: this summer you can book a driverless Zoox in the Uber app in Las Vegas, with LA on deck for next year. Meanwhile, U.S. Transportation Secretary Sean Duffy is sounding the alarm that winning the autonomous vehicle race is a national security, economic, and safety must win for the U.S. and yes, he’s the same guy from MTV’s The Real World: Boston, 90's (core memory unlocked). On the retail side, WSJ recently reported Volkswagen dealers are suing over a direct‑to‑consumer plan for Scout Motors, prompting guest commentator John Possumato, CEO of DriveItAway to label the strategy as “stupid, stupid, and stupid” and argues that EV makers should lean into dealer networks and flexible leases instead of reinventing the wheel.

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Bear wants you to support his snack addiction, I mean, his show.

Shop all merch here!

https://evs4everyone-shop.fourthwall.com

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WSJ article from Chris Otts: Volkswagen Dealers Revolt Over Plan to Sell a New Brand of SUV Directly to Consumers

________________________________

Connect with Elena:

https://evs4everyone.com/

https://www.linkedin.com/in/elenaciccotelli/

Let's talk on X:

https://twitter.com/EVs_forEveryone

Are you connected with the show on LinkedIn?

https://www.linkedin.com/company/the-evs-for-everyone-podcast/

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