John Voelcker, Contributing Editor

John Voelcker is an accomplished automotive journalist with a diverse background in the industry. As a cofounder of Tempting Fate Tours, he has delved into the world of adventurous car experiences, providing enthusiasts with unforgettable journeys for a year and a half. With a passion for automotive journalism, Voelcker's expertise extends to his tenure as a Contributing Editor at Internet Brands. During his stint, he has contributed valuable insights and engaging content to one of the most respected automotive publications in the industry. Previously, Voelcker served as the inaugural Editor of Green Car Reports under the Internet Brands Automotive Group. For over nine years, starting in 2009, he played a vital role in reporting, editing, and providing news coverage and new-car reviews. His contributions also extended to sister sites, including The Car Connection and Motor Authority, solidifying his reputation as a trusted source in the automotive community. In addition to his editorial work, Voelcker has actively covered advanced auto technologies and energy policy for a multitude of esteemed publications. Wired, Popular Science, Tech Review, IEEE Spectrum, and HybridCars.com are among the platforms that have featured his articles. Recognized for his expertise, he was appointed as one of the jurors for the prestigious North American Car and Truck of the Year Awards in 2015. With a wealth of experience behind the wheel, Voelcker has driven electric and hybrid cars from dozens of automakers, along with countless other vehicles. His firsthand experiences provide a valuable perspective in his automotive reporting. Voelcker's editorial journey has taken him through various notable magazines, including This Old House, Metropolis, Psychology Today, Exposure, Mother Earth News, Budget Living, and IEEE Spectrum. His diverse background showcases his versatility and ability to cover a wide range of topics. Voelcker holds a BS in Industrial Engineering from Stanford University, which adds a unique analytical lens to his automotive reporting. Splitting his time between the picturesque Catskill Mountains and vibrant New York City, he finds inspiration in both the tranquility of nature and the dynamic urban environment.

Articles

Indianapolis Electric-Car Sharing: We Drive BlueIndy's BlueCar John Voelcker May 23, 2014

While you might expect a city-wide electric car-sharing service in Paris--or perhaps progressive havens like San Francisco or Santa Monica--the midwestern city of Indianapolis may not be the first...
2015 Chevrolet Impala Gets Start-Stop, But Hybrid 'Eco' Gone
New information on updates for 2015 to the Chevrolet Impala full-size sedan range note that a start-stop system will be fitted to the four-cylinder model as standard equipment. So the 2015 Chevy Impala LS model with the base 196-horsepower 2.5-liter four-cylinder will now switch off its engine when...
John Voelcker May 23, 2014

A Brief History Of Ethanol In Brazil
While many North Americans may not know it, Brazil presently leads the world in deploying biofuels for road vehicles. Specifically, a majority of cars sold in Brazil--especially lower-priced high-volume models built in the country--can run either on gasoline or pure ethanol. The modern history...
John Voelcker May 22, 2014
EZ-Charge Program Not So Easy As ChargePoint Exits Nissan Plan
The design for EZ-Charge, an access card that would let new Nissan Leaf electric-car drivers use multiple charging networks, was unveiled yesterday at the EDTA convention. Unfortunately, one of the four partners pulled out of the program--seemingly just an hour or so before the lunch event at which...
John Voelcker May 21, 2014
2014 BMW i3 REx Range-Extended Electric Car: On Hold At Ports (UPDATED)
The 2014 BMW i3 electric car is now in U.S. dealership, and early examples are eagerly being taken home by drivers--but, so far, only the battery-electric version is on sale. Despite hundreds of cars parked at multiple U.S. ports, the so-called i3 REx model, which includes an optional two-cylinder...
John Voelcker May 20, 2014
Highway Spending Bill To Bar Hybrids From Carpool-Lane Incentives?
Incentives to get drivers to buy highly fuel-efficient cars have taken many forms, one of the most popular being single-occupant access to carpool lanes on crowded freeways. Hybrid-electric vehicles were some of the first beneficiaries of these policies, but now they're being elbowed aside by...
John Voelcker May 20, 2014
Driving Entirely On Ethanol: Brazil’s Volkswagen Gol Flex-Fuel Vehicle John Voelcker May 19, 2014

What’s it like to drive on pure ethanol, known as E100, without a drop of gasoline in the car?

In the case of the Brazilian Volkswagen Gol, it’s quite unremarkable.

Brazil’s most...

2015 Chevrolet Spark EV Switches Battery Cells; 82-Mile Range Remains
The Chevrolet Spark EV has been on the market for only a year, but already it's being updated. And in this case, the update is major: The 2015 Chevy Spark EV will have an entirely new battery pack. General Motors announced yesterday that it will bring assembly of the electric Spark's battery...
John Voelcker May 15, 2014
2015 Ford Focus EcoBoost Three-Cylinder: Manual Gearbox Only
Sales of the 1.0-liter three-cylinder version of the 2015 Ford Focus compact are likely to be dwarfed by those of the more powerful and familiar 2.0-liter 1.6-liter four. After all, in a segment that's often price-sensitive, Ford is asking buyers to pay more for a slower car--although one that's...
John Voelcker May 14, 2014
2016 Fiat 500X Crossover To Be Officially Launched On July 4
While the Chrysler portion of the newly constituted Fiat Chrysler Automobile company moves ahead on its revised product plan, there will be a new Fiat coming soon as well. The long-awaited 2016 Fiat 500X crossover utility vehicle, with available all-wheel drive, will be unveiled on July 4th...
John Voelcker May 14, 2014
Tesla Model S: 'Intergalactic SpaceBoat Of Light And Wonder'
The Tesla Model S electric luxury sedan can be described many ways, and its owners generally use glowing superlatives in doing so. But we've never seen it called an "intergalactic spaceboat of light and wonder" before. Nor an "Electric CruiseBeast," for that matter. ALSO SEE: Next-Generation Tesla...
John Voelcker May 14, 2014
Dual-Carbon Battery: Same Energy Density, Safer, Longer Life Than Lithium-Ion, Says Power Japan Plus
In the search for better electric-car batteries, lots of lab research has to happen before anything can be announced. Today, a company called Power Japan Plus came out of stealth mode to unveil a new battery chemistry, with both electrodes--anode and cathode--made of carbon. The new cell, known as...
John Voelcker May 13, 2014

Next-Generation Tesla Electric Car Won't Be 'Model E' After All John Voelcker May 13, 2014

Tesla's third-generation car, currently planned for volume production in late 2017, is now officially nameless again.

According to Fortune, the company has abandoned its trademark application for the...
2014 Chevrolet Spark With CVT: Gas Mileage Review
We're fond of the Chevrolet Spark minicar; it's by far the best-executed of the several smaller-than-subcompact cars sold today. But our fondness had been limited to the five-speed manual version; the four-speed automatic offered in 2013 was, in a word, awful. Now we've driven a 2014 Chevrolet...
John Voelcker May 12, 2014
New 2017 Nissan Leaf: More Details On New Styling, Range--And Infiniti Electric Too
The Nissan Leaf is by far the highest-volume electric car ever built, with 110,000-plus on the roads now. And three and a half years after its launch, Nissan is pushing hard to boost its sales all over the world. But what about the next Nissan Leaf, one designed with several years of battery...
John Voelcker May 12, 2014
Tesla Deal To Supply Toyota RAV4 EV Powertrain To End This Year
Several news reports over the weekend noted that Tesla's contract to supply Toyota with electric powertrains for its RAV4 EV crossover would end next year. In the words of Tesla's latest quarterly report, cited by Bloomberg in a Saturday news story, “Toyota is expected to end the current RAV4...
John Voelcker May 12, 2014
Do The BMW i3 And i8 Electric Cars Pose A Threat To Tesla?
With the 2014 BMW i3 battery-electric car now being delivered to its first buyers, and the range-extended i3 REx version to follow within several weeks, BMW is at last in the business of selling electric cars in volume. And that, argues one financial analyst, may pose the most direct threat yet to...
John Voelcker May 9, 2014
2014 Dodge Dart Dumps Dual-Clutch Automatic, Except On Aero Model
The Dodge Dart compact sedan launched as a 2013 model hasn't sold as well as hoped. One thing that hurt its debut was the unfamiliar feel of its dual-clutch automatic gear gearbox, brought over from Europe to boost the fuel economy of versions fitted with the 160-horsepower turbocharged 1.4-liter...
John Voelcker May 9, 2014

Another Hydrogen Fueling Station Opens In LA, With Fuel-Cell Cars On The Way John Voelcker May 8, 2014

Another hydrogen fueling station opened in southern California yesterday, this one at California State University, Los Angeles.

The university's Hydrogen Research and Fueling Facility is a part of...
Tesla Sales On Target, Gigafactory Groundbreaking Next Month: FINAL UPDATE
Tesla Motors released its first-quarter earnings this afternoon, logging revenue of $713 million on deliveries of 6,457 Model S electric cars. That's essentially the number it had said it would sell in the quarter, but the total is slightly down from the record 6,892 sold in the prior quarter. It...
John Voelcker May 7, 2014
Chrysler: Mild Hybrids Coming, Says Electric Cars 'Overblown By Media'
Yesterday's multi-hour presentation of the five-year plan for the combined Fiat Chrysler Automobiles was called "Chryslerpalooza" by local Detroit reporters who sat through it. The first green news was that Chrysler will build small numbers of plug-in hybrid minivans and large SUVs to meet emission...
John Voelcker May 7, 2014
Lexus Ad Not Only Sneers At Plug-Ins, But Gets Charging Wrong
Few things make electric-car advocates as cranky as criticism of their vehicles. But when the criticism is factually wrong, and comes from a carmaker that has resolutely said it doesn't think plug-in electric cars are "ready for prime time," the howling gets harsher. Perhaps Toyota's Lexus luxury...
John Voelcker May 7, 2014
Nissan e-NV200 Electric Minivan Production Starts In Spain (VIDEO)
Nissan officially started production of its second electric vehicle, the Nissan e-NV200 small van, at its assembly plant in Barcelona, Spain. The battery-electric van blends the powertrain of a Nissan Leaf battery-electric hatchback, including its in-floor battery pack and electric motor driving...
John Voelcker May 6, 2014
Chrysler Confirms Plug-In Hybrid Minivan, Big SUV In 2016 And Later
Five years ago, then-new Chrysler CEO Sergio Marchionne and a new executive team held a marathon day-long presentation session on the company's future, laying out a product plan in conjunction with Fiat following its government-backed restructuring. Today, what is now Fiat Chrysler Automobiles...
John Voelcker May 6, 2014