The Rivian R1T topped J.D. Power’s third annual U.S. Electric Vehicle Experience Ownership Study.

It’s the first year the model was eligible, but it garnered the highest overall satisfaction score – 794 on a 1,000-point scale. Survey respondents reported high satisfaction with driving enjoyment and styling, the study found.

Among mass-market models, the MINI Cooper Electric topped the competition with a score of 782.

The study also found that first-time battery-electric vehicle ownership is on the rise, jumping 11 percentage points over 2022 numbers, from 74% to 85%. The mass-market segment is drawing first-timers at an even faster rate, jumping from 67% to 89% over 2022, and satisfaction is greater among first-timers than among veteran owners.

J.D. Power EV Practice Executive Director Brent Gruber said that newer EV models are “bringing in more mainstream, first-time EV buyers.”

“Recent vehicle launches from both new brands and traditional automakers have had a profound effect on what factors are most important in the ownership experience,” Gruber said. “Today’s EV owners are looking for quality, reliability, driving enjoyment, safety and technology features.”

First-time EV buyers in the mass-market segment cited tax credits and expected lower running costs as the main reasons for buying electric. In the premium segment, buyers cited driving performance.

The number of models eligible for awards in the study has increased from four to five among premium models and from six to 10 in the mass-market segment.

LEARN MORE: U.S. EV Sales Spiked in 2022