XPeng drivers were the most likely to recommend their car in a survey of EV owners in Germany, Austria and Switzerland, putting the Chinese brand at the top of the ranking for the second year in a row.
In the ‘EV Satisfaction Study 2026’ by Stuttgart-based consultancy USCALE, 82% of XPeng drivers said they were very likely to recommend the brand, against an average of 53% across all brands.
Tesla came second with 79%, up from sixth place last year, followed by Skoda and Porsche at 67% each.
XPeng’s German LinkedIn account shared the result on Friday, saying its drivers rated it ahead of “all US, European and Asian brands.”
How the Survey Works
USCALE surveyed 4,004 drivers of fully electric cars up to three years old in June and July 2026, the seventh edition of the study. It covered 23 brands.
Respondents were asked how likely they would be to recommend their brand to a friend or colleague on a scale of zero to 10.
Those answering nine or 10 count as promoters, and those answering zero to six as detractors. XPeng’s 82% is its share of promoters.
The chart USCALE published shows no detractor share for XPeng, while 6% of Tesla drivers were detractors.
Respondents were recruited through social media, and the sample is therefore not representative of the average driver, USCALE said. It added that such drivers tend to scrutinize vehicle concepts more closely than typical customers.
USCALE did not publish how many respondents drove each brand.
The brand registered 393 cars in Germany in 2024, 2,991 in 2025 and 7,023 in the first nine months of 2026, according to Federal Motor Transport Authority (KBA) data, so many of its owners would have had their cars for only months when surveyed.
A Second Win, by One Point
XPeng’s score rose one percentage point from last year’s study, according to the company. In the 2025 edition, published in July 2025, XPeng ranked first, closely followed by Porsche and Polestar.
USCALE said XPeng was above average in nearly all categories, with charging power, charge management and range its strongest points. Route planning was its biggest weakness. XPeng said its connect app had also improved significantly.
Tesla’s drivers praised its software, connect app, route planning and energy consumption, while more than half criticized its charging power.
BYD and newcomer Leapmotor ranked mid-table at 47% and 46%. Volkswagen also scored 46%, with software and the connect app named as major problems.
Among German brands, Mercedes-Benz made major gains in range, consumption and charging power with its new MMA platform, but drew more criticism for software and build quality.
Audi ranked among the bottom four despite range and charging gains from its A6 and Q6 e-tron models.
BMW‘s Neue Klasse, on sale since mid-2026, was not yet included. Skoda’s Elroq improved on the older Enyaq in nearly every area, USCALE said.
At the bottom, 19% of Opel drivers would recommend the brand and 50% would advise against it. Fiat scored 24% and MG 30%.
Satisfaction at a Record
Overall satisfaction rose for a third year. The survey’s net promoter score, promoters minus detractors, climbed to 38 from 33, the highest since the series began.
Of all respondents, 53% were promoters, 15% detractors and 32% neutral.
“EV drivers have never been more satisfied. But they are also becoming increasingly demanding,” said Axel Sprenger, Founder and Managing Director of USCALE.
Range and charging improved. 59% of owners reported a real summer range above 400 km, up from 50% a year earlier, and 77% of the cars could charge at 150 kW or more.
But expectations rose faster. Only 58% rated 150 kW as good or very good, down from 65%, and 71% reported problems when charging, most often trouble starting a session or lower-than-expected power.
Software drew more criticism. 48% reported problems with their car’s connect app, ranging from 8% of Tesla drivers to 92% of Opel drivers.
Asked what should improve, 44% named software quality, 42% charging power, 39% the connect app, 35% route planning and 34% range.
About half of respondents said warning and notification sounds bothered them, from 29% of Mini drivers to around 80% of Hyundai and Kia drivers.
Registrations Nearly Quadruple
The survey lands as XPeng’s German registrations surge. The brand registered 7,023 cars in Germany in the first nine months of 2026, up 279% from a year earlier and already more than double its full-year 2025 total of 2,991, according to KBA data.
Registrations have risen every quarter, from 1,207 in the first quarter to 2,150 in the second and 3,666 in the third, when they were more than four times higher than a year earlier.
July set a monthly record of 1,253, and September followed with 1,250, up 419% from a year earlier.
The growth has come as the lineup widened. In 2025, XPeng sold three models in Germany, led by the G6 SUV with 1,664 registrations, followed by the G9 with 1,172 and the P7 with 155, according to the company.
It now offers six: the L03 and G6 SUV coupés, the P7+ fastback, the G9 and G9L SUVs and the X9 people carrier, with a seventh due soon. Its dealer network, 50 sites at the end of 2025, is set to reach 110 by year-end, after adding Emil Frey as a partner.
XPeng raised its German target to 10,000 registrations this year from about 8,000 forecast in April, and has set a goal of 22,000 for 2027, according to Markus Schrick, Managing Director of its Central Europe sales region.
Reaching 10,000 would require about 2,980 registrations in the fourth quarter, or roughly 990 a month, below the third quarter’s average of about 1,220.
“XPENG does not want to be just one of many Chinese car brands,” Schrick said in the company’s statement.
A Shrinking Home Market
Growth abroad matters more as China’s market contracts. Passenger-car retail sales in China fell 21% in the first nine months of 2026 to 13.4 million, and new-energy vehicle sales fell 12%, according to the China Passenger Car Association. September retail sales dropped 24%.
XPeng has fared better than the market but has not escaped it. Its global deliveries, including exports, reached a record 118,390 in the third quarter, but its nine-month total was still 9.2% below a year earlier.
Germany remains small within that total. XPeng’s 1,250 German registrations in September compare with 41,256 deliveries worldwide that month.
