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

Strange Bedfellows? Project Better Place Pairs With GM Australia John Voelcker July 12, 2012

Better Place is now rapidly ramping up the first full deployment of its electric-car service and battery swapping network in Israel, but the company has ambitious plans in other countries as well.

In...
Chevy Volt A Plug-In Hybrid? More Electric Than You Think, Owners Say
If you have a car that both plugs in and runs on a conventional engine, what's the mix of miles done on grid power versus gasoline? You might think it's something like 50-50. In the case of the Toyota Prius Plug-In Hybrid, with an electric range of 6 to 15 miles, that's probably about...
John Voelcker July 12, 2012

Replacing A 2001 Toyota Prius Battery Pack: What It Cost
It's one of the most frequent questions asked about hybrids: What happens if I have to replace the high-voltage battery pack? While Toyota warrants its Prius batteries for 8 years/100,000 miles (or 10 years/150,000 miles in some states), cars more than a decade old won't be covered--and may still...
John Voelcker July 12, 2012
Obama's Goal Of 1 Million Plug-Ins: 2018, Not 2015, Say Analysts
Political opponents of President Barack Obama used to sneer, "So how's that hopey-changey stuff workin' for ya, huh?" You don't hear that so much any more, but 18 months after the first plug-in cars went on sale in the U.S., it's worth looking at a different question. Will the Obama...
John Voelcker July 11, 2012
Nissan Leaf Electric-Car Sales Slump: What's Happening Here?
Last year it was the Chevy Volt, which went through several months of slow sales before rebounding in the spring. This year, it's the Nissan Leaf, the world's highest-volume battery-electric car, whose U.S. sales have slumped to just 600 a month or less--and stayed there since early this year. Just...
John Voelcker July 11, 2012
Protean 'Inside-Out' Wheel Motor Design: A Company To Watch?
Starting a company to build electric cars is tough, as Tesla, Fisker, and others have found out. Building electric motors is tough, too. It's tougher yet if you intend to turn the traditional design inside out, and build big, powerful, slim wheel motors to be used in large sedans, full-size pickup...
John Voelcker July 10, 2012
2012 Tesla Model S To Get One-Hour Recharging Next Year? John Voelcker July 10, 2012

With at least a dozen 2012 Tesla Model S all-electric sport sedans now in the hands of buyers--and, Tesla says, 5,000 more to follow by the end of the year--attention is likely to turn to the car's...

Five New 2012 Hybrid Cars To Consider Steering Clear Of
Say "hybrid car," and most people think Toyota Prius. The Japanese maker has sold roughly 3 million Prius models worldwide since 1997, which is more than half of all the hybrids in the world. The 2012 Toyota Prius remains the gold standard among hybrid-electric vehicles, with three of its four...
John Voelcker July 10, 2012
Forget Electric-Car Charging Networks, Pay By Mobile Phone?
It's a well-known problem among electric car owners: accumulating the memberships and authorization cards from enough charging networks in your area so you're sure to have the right one when you pull up to a charging station. Now a new company, Liberty Plug-Ins, suggests that maybe all those cards...
John Voelcker July 9, 2012
Hydrogen Fuel-Cell Cars Still Important, Automakers Say
When anything is referred to as "not dead yet," it's usually dead--or very close. But despite the headline reference to a legendary Monty Python skit (NSFW), a recent post from Pike Research makes the case that hydrogen fuel-cell vehicles likely have at least a limited role to play in future...
John Voelcker July 9, 2012
2012 Tesla Model S Tests: 1 Hour Or Less Is Not A Review
Following its launch of the 2012 Tesla Model S, the Silicon Valley startup is now giving test drives to depositors who've put down $5,000--or more--for the all-electric luxury sport sedan. What Tesla hasn't done, as far as we're aware, is to provide Model S cars to automotive media outlets for...
John Voelcker July 9, 2012
Mazda To Offer All-Electric Mazda2, In Japan, For Lease Only
Electric cars can be split into three basic groups. There are the few models carmakers intend to sell in volume (e.g. Nissan Leaf), those that are only "compliance cars"--built solely to satisfy regulatory requirements--and, lastly, the "test fleet" cars, with which manufacturers gather real-world...
John Voelcker July 6, 2012

How Much Space IS There Inside A 2012 Tesla Model S Anyway? John Voelcker July 6, 2012

It can be hard to work out which cars the 2012 Tesla Model S electric sport sedan competes with.

Would it be largest German luxury sedans, which it roughly matches in price with the longest...
BMW ActiveE Safety Recall For Possible Power Steering Failure
BMW is recalling its ActiveE electric cars to replace a potentially faulty component whose failure could leave drivers without power steering. According to the text of the recall, "variations in electrical current" may occur within the electric power steering, leading to a sudden loss of the power...
John Voelcker July 6, 2012
2013 Lexus RX 450h: 750-Mile Gas Mileage Test
The Lexus RX luxury crossover line is the mainstay of Toyota's luxury line in the U.S., representing fully 42 percent of the brand's total 2011 sales. And the hybrid Lexus RX 450h model finds many buyers among progressive, affluent suburban families. There's just one problem: Its real-world gas...
John Voelcker July 5, 2012
2013 Fiat 500X: Previewed On Video, Full Details Soon?
It's just 18 seconds of video, but a clip from Italy appears to show the first clear details of yet another upcoming Fiat model to help the brand return to volume sales in the U.S. market. Posted on Tuesday, the video shows what is almost surely a Fiat 500X crossover. This new model is the...
John Voelcker July 5, 2012
June Plug-In Electric Car Sales: Volt Stays Strong, Leaf Low
Half of this year is now gone, which means it's time once again to look at sales of plug-in electric cars--both for June and for the first six months of 2012. Coming off a streak of low sales months, 535 Nissan Leafs were sold in June, less than one-third the 1,708 Leafs delivered in June 2011...
John Voelcker July 3, 2012
July 4th Special: Six U.S. Cars That Get More Than 30 MPG
If your workplace is anything like ours, it seems that while you're at work, most of the rest of the United States has taken the entire week off to celebrate Independence Day. For our own celebration, and with a friendly nod to our defeated British colleagues, we thought it would be appropriate to...
John Voelcker July 2, 2012

Elon Musk Wins His 2012 Tesla Model S Bet, Dan Neil Pays Up John Voelcker July 2, 2012

It may be that no one has been happier to lose a bet and write a check for $1,000 than Wall Street Journal auto writer Dan Neil.

The bet he always said he wanted to lose was over the date Tesla...
Why Is Tesla Scared To Release Its Electric-Car Sales Data?
Frankly, we understand why Fisker Automotive and Coda Automotive might not want to release their sales data. Both companies have struggled mightily with delayed rollouts of their first plug-in electric cars. But Tesla Motors just nailed its promised late-June first delivery date for the Model S...
John Voelcker June 29, 2012
2013 Honda Fit EV: First Drive Of Honda's All-Electric Car
The 2013 Honda Fit EV is a fun and well-executed little all-electric hatchback. It's quick, handles decently, gets the highest EPA efficiency rating of any vehicle on the market (118 MPGe), and its rated range of 82 miles is longer than that of the somewhat larger Nissan Leaf. Too bad you have very...
John Voelcker June 29, 2012
Tony Posawatz, Chevy Volt Product Line Director, Retires From GM
The Chevrolet Volt electric car, now in its third model year, has survived the bankruptcy and government-led restructuring of General Motors, politically motivated attacks on electric cars, a battery-safety investigation by the NHTSA, and some breathtakingly inept marketing efforts. But many...
John Voelcker June 29, 2012
BMW To Dump GM, Chooses Toyota As Fuel-Cell, Hybrid Partner?
It's hard to keep things secret in the auto industry. So when Bloomberg reported yesterday that German luxury maker BMW had broken off talks with General Motors on joint development of fuel cells, writer Dorothee Tschampa explained why. It appears BMW jilted GM because it found a more attractive...
John Voelcker June 28, 2012
Installing A Wireless Charging System: What It Really Takes
Electric cars of various types are often grouped as "plug-in cars," but recharging the battery pack doesn't always require an actual plug. Wireless charging, in which the car is positioned over a charging pad on the floor of a garage, is sometimes touted as a technology that will ease the adoption...
John Voelcker June 28, 2012