Battery quality a potential dealbreaker in NEV sales, survey finds

Battery quality and brand reputation are becoming key factors in electric vehicle purchases, particularly in China, where consumers rank batteries behind only overall vehicle safety when choosing a car, according to a NielsenIQ survey.

The findings suggest automakers' choice of battery supplier can influence a buyers' willingness to purchase, adding a consumer-facing dimension to a component traditionally assessed through technical specifications, such as capacity and charging speed.

NielsenIQ's 2026 global new energy vehicle consumer report surveyed 10,090 owners and prospective buyers, including 3,035 in China, through online questionnaires conducted from April 17 to June 11.

In China, batteries ranked above smart features and driving performance in purchasing decisions. Battery safety was a concern for 40 percent of Chinese respondents, while 37 percent focused on driving range.

Globally, eight in 10 respondents viewed batteries as determining vehicle safety and reflecting overall vehicle quality, the report said. Consumers also expressed greater willingness to buy vehicles equipped with batteries from brands they considered high quality and a greater willingness to pay extra for them.

Chinese battery maker CATL was the first brand named without prompting by 40.9 percent of respondents in China, followed by BYD at 25.3 percent.

Among respondents outside China, CATL also led that measure of brand awareness at 26.7 percent, ahead of BYD's 14 percent, LG Energy Solution's 12.6 percent, and Panasonic's 8.7 percent.

Some 37.1 percent of Chinese respondents said they would abandon a preferred vehicle if it did not use CATL batteries. The finding reflects stated purchasing intentions rather than completed transactions.

Brand recognition, however, sits alongside persistent dissatisfaction with battery performance. The gap between advertised and actual driving range was the biggest source of dissatisfaction identified in the survey.

Chinese respondents wanted an ideal range of 870 kilometers and a minimum of 521 km, compared with a global minimum expectation of 504 km.

Lower running costs remained the leading reason for choosing a new energy vehicle globally, cited by 26.8 percent, followed by environmental benefits at 25.2 percent, and advances in battery technology at 24.3 percent.

NIQ urged manufacturers to improve real-world range and energy management, while working with charging providers to expand fast-charging access and translate technical advances into benefits consumers can understand.