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

How Many Cars Is Tesla Selling In U.S.? Pace May Be Slowing John Voelcker May 5, 2014

This Wednesday, Tesla Motors will release its first-quarter financial results--one part of which will be its electric-car sales total from January through March.

If the usual practice holds true,...
Plug-In Electric Car Sales In April: Leaf Widens Lead, Volt Flat Again: FINAL UPDATE
Sales of plug-in electric cars last month stayed about level with last month's, based on the reports from all makers of plug-in electric cars sold in the U.S. (except for two that refuse to provide sales data). With all data now in, it was a steady month for plug-in sales, but not a spectacular...
John Voelcker May 5, 2014

First 2014 BMW i3 Electric Car Delivered To Buyer, In Boston
As of Friday, May 2, it's official: the 2014 BMW i3 electric car is now on sale in the U.S. In a small ceremony inside the BMW of Boston dealership, the first retail buyer of an i3 took delivery of his keyfob yesterday afternoon. DON'T MISS: 2014 BMW i3 Electric Car Rated At 81 Miles, 124 MPGe He...
John Voelcker May 3, 2014
2014 BMW i3 Range-Extended Model Gets Full $2,500 CA Rebate For Electric Cars
It's clearly the week for news about the new and distinctive 2014 BMW i3 electric car. Yesterday, as the first cars arrived at dealers, we learned that it was rated at 81 miles of range (less than a 2014 Nissan Leaf's 84 miles), but operates at an unparalleled efficiency of 124 MPGe. Then, late...
John Voelcker May 2, 2014
2014 BMW i3 Electric Car Rated At 81 Miles, 124 MPGe: BREAKING
Well, the numbers are in, courtesy of a quickly-photographed window sticker, and now we know the range and efficiency ratings for the 2014 BMW i3 electric car. The EPA-rated range is 81 miles, and its efficiency is a record-breaking 124 MPGe combined (138 MPGe city, 111 MPGe highway). ALSO SEE...
John Voelcker May 1, 2014
Good Luck In Getting Tesla Owners To 'Give Back' Electric Cars! (Hilarious Paranoia Alert)
Oh, awesome! Someone is leaving fliers on Tesla Model S electric luxury cars parked in San Francisco, claiming...well, claiming all sorts of hilarious and bizarre things. Folks in SF are leaving anonymous flyers on Teslas exposing the "truth" about the company. Mind-blowing. cc @elonmusk...
John Voelcker May 1, 2014
Tesla Model S: Yes, Writers, Higher Speeds Use More Energy In Electric Cars John Voelcker May 1, 2014

Just when you thought it might be safe to assume no more journalists would do silly, uninformed things with electric cars...comes proof that blissful ignorance knows few bounds.

In this case, a...

Photo Contest: Most Unusual Place To Charge An Electric Car? (WINNER)
Ten weeks ago, we asked you to send us photos of the most unusual place you'd ever charged a plug-in electric car. And, wow, were there some unusual photos indeed among the several dozen entries submitted to our photo contest by readers from around the world. Now, we've finally chosen a winner--and...
John Voelcker April 30, 2014
Toyota's Trendy Scion Small-Car Brand To Get New Products, After Long Drought
Be honest: Have you ever thought about buying a Scion? Toyota's trendy small-car brand has been distinctly neglected over the past several years, and fewer buyers each year are stepping into its dealers. But, says the executive who oversees Scion, fear not: There will be three new products coming...
John Voelcker April 30, 2014
Toyota's Texas Move: Prius Maker Lands In Highest-Carbon State (Updated)
Toyota announced yesterday that it would relocate the headquarters of its U.S. arm from Torrance, California, to Plano, Texas. Left unaddressed in the announcement was the fact that the Japanese carmaker, known for its green image and its pioneering Prius hybrid range of 50-mpg cars, is moving from...
John Voelcker April 29, 2014
2015 BMW i8: Sexy Plug-In Hybrid Sport Coupe, Our First Drive
Could the 2015 BMW i8 sports coupe, coming this summer, do for plug-in hybrids what the Tesla Model S did for battery-electric vehicles? That is, could the sleek, sexy, attention-luring coupe with doors that open like insect wings make plug-in hybrids...sexy? ALSO READ: Chevy Volt: How It Really...
John Voelcker April 29, 2014
Chevy Volt: How It Really Works Vs Common Myths & Misconceptions
How badly does the public misunderstand the Chevrolet Volt range-extended electric car? Pretty badly indeed, if the comments received by Volt owners are any indication. DON'T MISS: Three Years Later, Most Consumers Don't Understand The Chevy Volt Last week, we wrote that Chevrolet admits most...
John Voelcker April 28, 2014

The Epic Failure Of Better Place, As Covered By Fast Company John Voelcker April 28, 2014

The remarkable scope, overwhelming ambition, and epic failure of the Better Place electric-car service in Israel is worthy of a book, or several.

But until one appears, Fast Company magazine has...
Why Little APUs Can Save Giant Amounts Of Diesel Fuel
If you've never heard of an APU, you may not be a long-haul trucker. The acronym stands for auxiliary power unit, in this case a generator or other form of generating electricity to run auxiliary services like air conditioning in the sleeper cabs of Class 8 over-the-road sleeper tractors while...
John Voelcker April 27, 2014
Chevy Volt, Nissan Leaf Ready Second Acts (Video)
The Nissan Leaf electric car and Chevy Volt plug-in hybrid went on sale within days of each other back in December 2010. Now, we're expecting second-generation versions of both cars for 2016--and each will have significant upgrades. The most significant upgrade to the Nissan Leaf will be a choice...
John Voelcker April 25, 2014
Keystone Pipeline Fight: Insignificant 'Sideshow' To EPA Power-Plant Limits?
In the ongoing battles over renewable versus hydrocarbon energy--and the associated public policies, advocacy, and media coverage--the Keystone XL Pipeline has emerged as a flashpoint. Now a long analysis in The New York Times, along with associated commentary elsewhere, argues that Keystone's...
John Voelcker April 25, 2014
2014 BMW i3: What Staff Training Ride & Drives Revealed
With deliveries of the first 2014 BMW i3 battery-electric cars now just days away, BMW has busily been training service personnel and dealership staff on its new and radical design. And an informed post on BMWBlog by a dealership employee who went through the multi-day course offers some new...
John Voelcker April 25, 2014
Will GM Offer A Five-Seat Hybrid Or Volt To Target Prius V, Ford C-Max?
With the anticipated launch of the revised 2016 Chevrolet Volt range-extended electric car now less than a year away, expectations are that it will be a compact hatchback similar to the current model. Whether it has four or five seats remains up in the air, though the addition of a fifth seat would...
John Voelcker April 24, 2014

Oklahoma Adds Fee For Homes To Connect Solar, Wind Power To Grid John Voelcker April 24, 2014

Renewable-energy advocates have cranked up the outrage machine at a surcharge imposed by Oklahoma on homes that connect rooftop solar panels or wind-turbine generators to the grid.

Ten days ago, the ...
In Effort To Sell RAV4 Electric SUVs, Toyota Puts 'Cash On Hood'
The all-electric Toyota RAV4 EV, even with its Tesla-designed powertrain, isn't exactly flying out of dealerships. While it's a low-volume compliance car sold to meet California regulations, Toyota still has to move 2,600 of them over a three-year period that began in September 2012. So Toyota is...
John Voelcker April 23, 2014
EPA Resets Ethanol Rules To Reflect Reality: Cellulosic Sources Don't Exist
For many months now, the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency has faced a dilemma: What to do about its rules that millions of gallons of cellulosic ethanol be blended into the U.S. gasoline supply. Now, The Detroit News reports that the agency has decided to accept reality: Supplies of that fuel...
John Voelcker April 23, 2014
'Tree Huggers Don't Buy Luxury Cars,' Says Cadillac Exec On Electric Cars
So what IS a "tree hugger," anyway? According to a Cadillac executive quoted in The Detroit News a week ago, it's someone who never buys luxury cars. That phrase leaped out at us from an otherwise pro forma article in which General Motors executives said the company's sales hadn't been affected by...
John Voelcker April 22, 2014
Tesla's 100th Supercharger Electric-Car Charging Site Now Open
The audacious plan by electric-car maker Tesla Motors to install its own network of free, high-speed charging stations for owners of Tesla cars is starting to pay off. This morning, it announced that its 100th Supercharger site is now open, in Hamilton Township, New Jersey--east of the state...
John Voelcker April 22, 2014
Nissan Leaf Likely To Offer Larger Battery For Longer Range
Every electric-car owner wants more range; it's practically an immutable law. Now Nissan executive Andy Palmer has come close to confirming that a longer-range Nissan Leaf is in the cards, though likely not until 2016 or even 2017. In an interview at last week's New York Auto Show with Palmer, who...
John Voelcker April 21, 2014