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

Mechanic's Worry: Electric Car Brakes Will Ruin My Business John Voelcker August 16, 2012

Talk to any independent auto-repair mechanic, and you'll learn that the single most important item that keeps a shop in business is brakes.

But hybrids and electric cars use their friction brakes far...
How Can China Boost Hybrid Sales? Guangzhou City Offers Cash
Several years ago, you could get a Federal tax credit for buying a hybrid-electric vehicle. That program has ended. Several manufacturers--Toyota, Honda, and Ford among them--reached their cap of 60,000 hybrids sold, and now hybrids represent 2 to 3 percent of the U.S. market without Federal...
John Voelcker August 16, 2012

2013 Nissan Leaf: More Range, Cheaper Model, Report Says
The 2013 Nissan Leaf that will go on sale in January will be a slightly different car from the 2011 and 2012 models sold in the U.S. so far. We already know the electric car will offer leather seats and a 6.6-kilowatt charger as options, along with a more efficient heating system. Now a report from...
John Voelcker August 16, 2012
How Cars Can Get Better Gas Mileage, Invisibly: Lower Weight
There's a lot of focus--perhaps too much--on carmakers using smaller engines, hybrids, and plug-in cars to meet increasingly higher gas-mileage standards from now through 2025. But another, equally important method is reducing the amount of car that has to be moved around in the first place. That...
John Voelcker August 15, 2012
How Many Karmas Has Fisker Built So Far? We Say 2,000-Plus
For roughly six months, Fisker Automotive has said it's sold "about 1,000" of its Karma range-extended electric luxury sedan, globally. Then, on July 31, we spotted a brand-new 2012 Karma at the Balboa Bay Club & Resort in Newport Beach, California--so new it still had dealer plates. Its...
John Voelcker August 15, 2012
Is Ford Fusion Energi (20-Mile Electric Car) A Volt Competitor?
As far as we know, not a single auto journalist has yet driven the upcoming plug-in hybrid Energi models of the 2013 Ford C-Max and 2013 Ford Fusion. But an interesting and illuminating post on HybridCars.com offers more details about those cars' electric capabilities than we'd seen to date. It led...
John Voelcker August 15, 2012
Fisker Fire Cause: Not Exhaust, Battery, Or Electric Drive, Company Says John Voelcker August 14, 2012

While Fisker's new CEO may be getting headlines today, the company continues to grapple with fallout from Friday's fire in a 2012 Fisker Karma.

Over the weekend, Fisker had issued a statement saying...

Volt Executive Tony Posawatz Is New CEO Of Fisker Automotive
In an unexpected announcement, struggling startup electric-car maker Fisker Automotive this morning named Tony Posawatz its new CEO and President. He replaces Tom LaSorda, himself appointed CEO only in late February. LaSorda will leave the company but remain available as an advisor. Posawatz spent...
John Voelcker August 14, 2012
White House Played Hardball To Set 54.5-MPG Standards
Politics is hardball, as every election season shows us. And getting very, very large and powerful auto companies to do something they really don't want to do is very, very hard. Even, that is, if you have a few useful levers, in the form of independent California regulators supported by a Supreme...
John Voelcker August 13, 2012
Second Fisker Karma Fire Casts Fresh Doubt On Plug-In Hybrid
Given the hurricane of bad publicity for the Chevrolet Volt last year over a battery-pack fire (in a crash-testing vehicle, a week after it was wrecked), any fire at all in a plug-in car is one too many. So the occurrence of a second fire among only 1,000 Fisker Karma range-extended electric luxury...
John Voelcker August 13, 2012
Secret Buyer Study: Infiniti Considers Electric Sports Car
EDITOR'S UPDATE: Four days after this article went live, Green Car Reports was contacted by Morpace, the company that conducted the study. Their representative informed us that all study panelists did in fact sign a confidentiality agreement, and therefore did not have the right to share any...
John Voelcker August 10, 2012
State Governors Ask For Natural-Gas Cars, Industry Listens
Last week, governors of more than 20 states joined together to ask the auto industry for a specific kind of car: a mid-size sedan powered by natural gas, rather than gasoline. This week, the industry responded, with auto-company representatives gathering in Oklahoma City to discuss the request with...
John Voelcker August 10, 2012

Battery Electric 2013 Fiat 500 To Be Called 500E: Report John Voelcker August 10, 2012

The 2012 Fiat 500 minicar started out as one model: a three-door hatchback.

That was followed by a cabriolet (500C) with a roll-back cloth roof, and then the turbocharged 500 Abarth sporty model.

...
Battery Startup A123 Rescue Plan: Chinese Firm To Own 80%
It's been a very, very tough 18 months for lithium-ion cell maker A123 Systems. In late May, the company said there was "substantial doubt" about its ability to remain in business. Now, A123 has announced a tentative deal to recapitalize the company that would--if approved--give an 80-percent...
John Voelcker August 9, 2012
Five Reasons Buying a Hybrid Prius Won't Save the Planet
The 2012 Toyota Prius gets the best EPA-rated gas mileage--50 miles per gallon combined--of any non-plug-in car sold in the U.S. But the Prius hybrid sometimes gets a bad rap. At least some of it is due to the notorious (and very funny) South Park episode in which a deadly attack of Smug afflicts...
John Voelcker August 9, 2012
Ford Focus Electric, Plug-In Hybrids Sold Nationwide In 2013
Ford is the current king at dribbling out factoids on future products (though Honda's been taking lessons). But buried toward the bottom of its current press releases on all three of its plug-in electric cars is a sentence that notes, "The all-new C-Max Energi plug-in hybrid begins arriving this...
John Voelcker August 8, 2012
Chrysler: Yes, We'll Build A Few Electric And Hybrid Cars (We Have To)
Give Chrysler credit for consistency. A company executive said yesterday that it would indeed build electric and hybrid vehicles, though "sparingly" and for the "right kinds of targeted applications." The comment came from Bob Lee, Chrysler's vice president and head of engineering for engine and...
John Voelcker August 8, 2012
2013 Honda Accord: First Images Of All-New Midsize Cars With Plug-In Hybrid Model
Used to be, cars were unveiled at auto shows. These days, their makers reveal them in little bits and pieces, just as the best ecdysiasts do (that's "strippers" to you). So today we have the first images of the redesigned 2013 Honda Accord sedan and coupe, the powerhouse mid-size line that competes...
John Voelcker August 8, 2012

Plug-In Hybrids Will Outsell Battery Electric Cars: Analyst John Voelcker August 7, 2012

Electric cars that plug into wall sockets to charge batteries that store energy to power them are still an unknown quantity to most car buyers globally.

And the education task gets more complex when...
Will Refinery Fire Cause Gas Prices To Soar In California?
A fire yesterday evening in a refinery critical to providing special California gasoline blends may boost gas prices in the state substantially. The blaze, first observed around 6:15 pm and brought under control five hours later, occurred in the Richmond refinery owned by Chevron [NYSE:CVX]. The...
John Voelcker August 7, 2012
2014 Tesla Model X Vs. 2012 Toyota RAV4 EV: Electric SUV Showdown?
The 2012 Toyota RAV4 EV is unique, the only all-electric compact sport-utility vehicle sold by a major automaker in the U.S. Behind the wheel, its Tesla-developed powertrain makes it peppy but quiet, while it maintains all the cargo and people space of the original gasoline version. There's really...
John Voelcker August 6, 2012
LA Port Cuts Emissions Half Or More Since 2005: Huge Success
Public-health advocates have known for years that living around freight yards is hazardous to your cardiopulmonary health. In smog-susceptible Los Angeles, the Port of LA was a huge hotspot of toxic emissions. And seven years ago, the Port embarked on an ambitious program to eliminate the bulk of...
John Voelcker August 6, 2012
2012 Tesla Model S: 50 Cars Built, 29 Delivered, Maker Says
Tesla likes to do things its own way. So while the company still refuses to report sales in the usual manner--at the end of every month like every other automaker--it does release bits and pieces of data on its corporate publicity site. On Thursday, Tesla Motors [NSDQ:TSLA] said that since June 22...
John Voelcker August 6, 2012
2012 Toyota RAV4 EV: First Drive From Behind The Wheel (Video)
The new 2012 Toyota RAV4 EV is quick, relatively fun to drive, and the only all-electric crossover utility vehicle on the market today. It has a good, intuitive touchscreen display and instrument cluster that shows both the maximum possible range and a constantly updated range based on both the...
John Voelcker August 3, 2012