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

Selling A Used Car? Put A Gas-Mileage Sticker In The Window! John Voelcker March 16, 2011

For every new vehicle that gets sold in the United States, four used cars change hands.

Those new cars have nice, big window stickers showing their EPA-rated gas mileage figures.

Used cars? All you...
Toyota Total For Hybrid Vehicles Passes 3 Million & Counting
Late last month, Toyota announced that it had delivered its 3-millionth hybrid-electric vehicle, with 3.03 million sold as of February 28. Of that total, almost 2.2 million were the company's dedicated hybrid Prius model, now in its third generation. The 1997 Toyota Prius four-door sedan was one of...
John Voelcker March 15, 2011

Pay Attention This Summer When You Gas Up: It Might Be E15
While the legal status of E15 gasoline is in doubt, the Environmental Protection Agency is moving forward with plans for it to roll out before this summer's driving season. That means that drivers will have to pay attention to the labels on their gas pumps, making sure that E15 is only used for...
John Voelcker March 15, 2011
2011 Chevrolet Volt Drive Review: Five Things We Don't Like
Some things about the 2011 Chevrolet Volt we liked, and there were a few that puzzled us. But GM's innovative range-extended electric car also has its share of annoyances. We found several features irritating, or (to be more diplomatic) perhaps not-quite-entirely-thought-through yet. That's...
John Voelcker March 14, 2011
2011 Chevrolet Volt Drive Review: Five Things That Puzzle Us
The 2011 Chevrolet Volt is a remarkable achievement for General Motors, but it does have a few features and behaviors that make us scratch our heads. After living with the car for five days and more than 700 miles, here are five questions we'd love to get answers to. (GM PR: You know where we live...
John Voelcker March 14, 2011
2011 Chevrolet Volt Drive Review: Five Things We Like
We're going to have a lot of 2011 Chevrolet Volt coverage this week, as we round up our impressions on the five days and hundreds of miles we've racked up on GM's first extended-range electric vehicle. We'll do a full drive report later on, but first, a few quick hits about the things we like in...
John Voelcker March 14, 2011
Reduce, Reuse, Recycle: Saturn Vue Returns As Chevy Captiva John Voelcker March 14, 2011

The shuttered Saturn brand is quickly fading from memory, but now GM plans to bring back one former Saturn model to live on in a new incarnation.

But even if you're a Saturn fan, you won't be able to...

Barrier To Buying Green: Electric Cars And Hybrids Confusing
Think car buyers understand what a hybrid is, or a plug-in electric car? Think again. A new survey conducted by research firm Synovate finds that many of almost 1,900 new-car "buyers and intenders" don't understand how hybrid vehicles work. Worse, most of them don't seem to understand how...
John Voelcker March 11, 2011
Chevy Volt Production May Rise; It's Not As Simple As You Think
It all started when General Motors CEO Dan Akerson said the company wanted to "double" production of the 2011 Chevrolet Volt, its range-extended electric car. Various media outlets reported the news with varying degrees of accuracy. So far, GM has not officially said it will make more Volts...
John Voelcker March 10, 2011
You'll Pay $700 More For Gasoline This Year (If You're Average)
According to the Department of Energy, the average U.S. household will pay $700 more for gasoline this year than it did in 2010. In a weekly review of the oil market, the department's Energy Information Administration noted that prices will rise at least 10 cents more over the current national...
John Voelcker March 10, 2011
Green-Car Faceoff: Who's The World's Fastest Plug-In Hybrid?
We don't spend much time covering single-seat speed machines like the Veritas RSIII Roadster here on Green Car Reports. But the previously gasoline-centric performance car crowd is quickly coming around to the remarkable acceleration benefits of stored electricity. The latest example? Veritas is...
John Voelcker March 9, 2011
Audi Powers Onward With Clean-Diesel Lineup For U.S. Buyers
While Volkswagen and Mercedes-Benz are the long-term diesel stalwarts in the States, relative newcomer Audi has ambitious plans. During a lengthy teleconference yesterday, Audi confirmed that it would add TDI clean-diesel models to every car it offers in the U.S. market by 2015. Audi has frequently...
John Voelcker March 9, 2011

Video: Tata Pixel Concept's 'Spin On The Spot' Parking John Voelcker March 9, 2011

It's not coming to the States--at least not for several years--but the Tata Pixel concept shown at last week's Geneva Motor Show is worth paying attention to.

It shows how a more upscale four-seat...
2011 Chevy Cruze Eco Gas Mileage: We Get 34 MPG--Which Is Fine
With political uncertainty in oil-producing states, and the rising gas prices that brings, you can expect to see a lot more headlines saying "40 MPG!" We just did a quick overnight road test of a 2011 Chevrolet Cruze Eco with the six-speed manual transmission, which the EPA rates at 28 mpg city and...
John Voelcker March 8, 2011
Photo Gallery: Think City Assembly Plant Tour, Elkhart, Indiana
During the Detroit Auto Show in January, we visited the Think electric-car assembly plant in Elkhart, Indiana. It's not necessarily a place you'd expect to find electric cars being put together, but the rows of electric two-seat hatchbacks in blue, red, and black turned out to be surprisingly...
John Voelcker March 7, 2011
CA: Where Small Green Cars Matter & Why Detroit Has To Care
Detroit pride is back. Domestic brands are winning quality awards, and matching or beating import labels on consumer satisfaction indices. If you watch television, you've likely seen the spinoffs of the widely discussed, utterly illogical feel-good Chrysler 200 ad featuring Eminem with the...
John Voelcker March 7, 2011
BREAKING: Nissan Leaf To Get Faster Charger 'In a Year Or So'
You just never know what you'll hear at conferences. You might, for instance, hear Nissan America's director of product planning, Mark Perry, casually mention that the Nissan Leaf electric car now permits Level II 240-Volt charging at 3.3 kilowatts--"and we'll raise that in a year or so." In other...
John Voelcker March 4, 2011
2011 Geneva Motor Show Through A Convert's Eyes: Guest Post
by Robert Llewellyn I was only there for one day, and I'm still recovering; car shows are fairly energy sapping events. Everyone I met in Halle 7 said the same thing, "Oh, Geneva is the best one. It's not too big, you can get around and see everything." Remind me never to go to the really big ones...
John Voelcker March 4, 2011

Anti-Hybrid Cause Launched To Keep Next Mitsubishi Evo 'Pure' John Voelcker March 4, 2011

Democracy can be a messy and ugly thing to watch in practice.

Especially when it's being pointed toward carmakers, which aren't often the subject of mass protests pointed toward their future product...
Green Car Roundup: Production Cars At 2011 Geneva Motor Show
This year's Geneva Motor Show was absolutely crammed with concept cars. But amidst all the outrageous styling and one-of-a-kind features, several important production cars showed up as well. Not all of them were called production cars, mind you. Toyota, Ford, and Audi all showed off new models...
John Voelcker March 3, 2011
Electric-Car Wars: Chevy Volt Still Outselling Nissan Leaf
Battle of the Titans it ain't. But for the third month in a row, Chevrolet sold more Volt range-extended electric cars than Nissan delivered Leaf plug-ins. During February, Nissan delivered 67 Leaf battery electric hatchbacks, bringing its two-month total to 154. Adding in the 19 delivered in...
John Voelcker March 3, 2011
Honda Recalls 2006-2007 Civic Hybrids To Replace DC-DC Converter
Honda said yesterday it would recall 36,700 of its 2006 and 2007 Civic Hybrid models to replace a key component of the Integrated Motor Assist hybrid system. The part to be replaced is the DC-to-DC converter, which adjusts the voltage of power moved among different components of the hybrid system...
John Voelcker March 3, 2011
Video: Rolls-Royce 102 EX Phantom Electric, Geneva Motor Show
An all-electric Rolls-Royce Phantom. Just think about it: If the engineers do their jobs properly, the occupants should sense absolutely no difference in the near-silent, creamy smooth surge of power that wafts them from estate to yacht, or factory to mansion. And now we have video, courtesy of...
John Voelcker March 2, 2011
Tata Pixel Concept: Nano's 69-MPG Pal, 2011 Geneva Motor Show
The world's least expensive new car, India's Tata Nano, is now selling across that country, with plans afoot to offer an upgraded version in Europe this year or in 2012. Meanwhile, carmaker Tata (which owns Jaguar Land Rover) is hardly standing still. At this week's 2011 Geneva Motor Show, Tata...
John Voelcker March 2, 2011