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 To Improve Fuel Economy? Raise Gasoline Taxes, Say Executives John Voelcker November 5, 2009

Auto executives know how to get U.S. drivers to save a whole lot more gasoline: Raise the price of gas, to at least $4 a gallon.

That was the message at the recent Reuters Autos Summit in Detroit...
DailyTech Reviewer Spends Week With 2010 Toyota Prius, Loves It
Continuing our series on 2010 Toyota Prius reviews from around the web, this week we turn to Jason Mick of TechDaily. He spent an entire week with a 2010 Prius V, the most upmarket trim level, and loved it. Mick isn't entirely new to AllAboutPrius.com. In late August, we reported on his...
John Voelcker November 3, 2009

Is Toyota Planning To Build a Camry CNG Hybrid?
If you've followed any of the news coming out of the 2009 SEMA Show, the mecca for modified cars, you may have seen that Toyota's display included a modified version of the Camry CNG Hybrid it showed last fall at the Los Angeles Auto Show.The Toyota Surfrider Camry Hybrid CNG, which pairs the...
John Voelcker November 3, 2009
Nissan Announces Tour Dates, Cities for 2012 Leaf Electric Car
Dates and cities have been announced for the "Zero Emission Tour" that will introduce the 2012 Nissan Leaf hatchback electric car to potential buyers in the U.S. markets where it will first be sold. The car won't be sold nationwide for more than two years. Instead, it will be offered where Nissan...
John Voelcker November 2, 2009
Most Popular Prius Posts for October: Floor Mat Recall
It's the end of October, but we'll spare you the lame Halloween jokes and dive directly into the most popular posts of the month on AllAboutPrius.com. Just like the month before, only two of September's most popular posts reappeared: the 2010 Toyota Prius Reference Guide (by now the year's...
John Voelcker October 31, 2009
October's Most Popular Green Car Posts: Steampunk Toyota Takes It
Today is Halloween, but no tired jokes about green pumpkins here. It's the end of the month, so it's time to look at the most popular posts on GreenCarReports.com over the last 30 days, which include items on hybrids, clean diesels, and two on the Tesla electric car. Four out of the top five are...
John Voelcker October 31, 2009
How Far Can the 2010 Volkswagen Golf TDI Go On a Tank of Diesel? John Voelcker October 30, 2009

We seem to be covering the 2010 Volkswagen Golf TDI clean diesel hatchback an awful lot here, but a recent blog post raised an issue we hadn't considered: How far can the 2010 Golf TDI go on a single...

Tesla Joins Tax-Incentive Trail for Not-Yet-Sited Model S Factory
It's starting to seem like tit-for-tat around here, as startup electric automakers Tesla and Fisker vie for--and get--federal- and state-funded loans and tax concessions to build future electric cars. The latest salvo, mere days after Fisker announced its purchase of a former GM plant in Delaware...
John Voelcker October 30, 2009
Coupe To Join Expanded Prius Lineup, Perhaps Even Minivan
It's long been the dream of Toyota's U.S. arm that the company would add additional body styles to the Prius line. And Toyota finally gave the nod to that idea earlier this year. Now, details are starting to emerge on the new models that will join the all-new, third-generation 2010 Toyota Prius...
John Voelcker October 29, 2009
2011 Chevrolet Cruze Compact Car Launch Delayed Til Next Fall
As U.S. carmakers get serious about building world-class compact cars, one of the most eagerly awaited entries is the 2011 Chevrolet Cruze, which will face off against a totally new 2012 Ford Focus as well as revised models of the Toyota Corolla, Honda Civic, and Nissan Sentra. Now reports say that...
John Voelcker October 29, 2009
Hide the Children! Porsche Goes Green And Hybrid, Purists Blanch
Europeans have been slow to the game with hybrids, having bet most of their green strategy on highly efficient clean diesels. But they are increasingly hedging their bets, learning to work with electric motors and battery packs. In the sports-car world, aside from startups Fisker and Tesla, no...
John Voelcker October 28, 2009
Toyota Prius To Add Coupe In 2011 To Target 2011 Honda CR-Z
Building on the success of the 2010 Toyota Prius hybrid, which is close to sold out due to worldwide demand, Toyota is planning to add additional body styles to the Prius line. Now, the first details of those cars have emerged, and one new model will apparently be a two-door coupe that targets the...
John Voelcker October 28, 2009

Biden Blurts Out Fisker Nina Plug-In Hybrid Line: Sedan, Coupe, Crossover John Voelcker October 28, 2009

There's nothing like a little old-fashioned reporter shoe leather, especially when few other automotive media outlets bother to make the trip.

Our colleague Gary Gastelu of Fox News traveled down to...
Drive Report: 26 MPG in 2010 Chevrolet Equinox Four-Cylinder
During a trip to Detroit last week, we had a chance to spend a couple of days with the all-new 2010 Chevrolet Equinox five-pasenger crossover sport-utility vehicle. We'd wanted to try this vehicle for some time, as most reviews deemed it vastly superior to the previous model. Certainly it's got...
John Voelcker October 27, 2009
Chrysler's Next Hybrid: 2011 Dodge Ram Hybrid Pickup Still On Track
While Chrysler was an original partner in development of the Two-Mode Hybrid system used in pickups and sport utilities by Chevrolet, GMC, Cadillac, as well as upcoming sport utilities from BMW and Mercedes-Benz, its hybrid history has not been happy. The company made fewer than 1,000 Dodge Durango...
John Voelcker October 27, 2009
Greenest Car Company, Honda, Goes Greener Yet, Harder and Faster
Honda has the highest average fleet mileage of any volume carmaker selling in the U.S. market today. And it's had that distinction for many years. But in the face of the car-market meltdown, oil prices that have risen from $30 to $80 a barrel within months, and growing global environmental...
John Voelcker October 26, 2009
Fisker Buying Delaware Plant To Build Midsize 2012 Plug-In Hybrid
At 10 am tomorrow morning, Vice President Joe Biden is expected to announce that Fisker Automotive will buy the closed General Motors factory in Wilmington, Delaware, his home state. According to reports, company founder Henrik Fisker will join Delaware Governor Jack Markell and other dignitaries...
John Voelcker October 26, 2009
GreenCarReports: 2009 Tokyo Motor Show Coverage
It's a sad thing when an auto show loses its exhibitors, and this was a tough year for Tokyo. Foreign automakers shunned the show--unless you count England's Lotus--so the biannual event had pretty much only Japanese products on display. Despite the downsizing, green cars abounded, ranging from new...
John Voelcker October 26, 2009

2010 Prius Beats 2010 Fusion Hybrid in Detroit News Showdown John Voelcker October 25, 2009

Every so often, we like to take a look at what other reviewers have said about the 2010 Toyota Prius hybrid. So we were excited to hear that the Detroit News, from the bowels of Big Three territory,...
Mitsubishi Evo To Go Plug-In Hybrid? World's Tuners Feel Faint
We can't help it. Once in a while, we like to toss in big honkin' performance cars, like the Ford Mustang Shelby GT500. And even screaming smaller tuner sedans, like the 2010 Subaru STi WRC and Mitsubishi Lancer Evo. But now comes news to rock the world: The next generation of the Mitsubishi...
John Voelcker October 23, 2009
Driven: 2010 Volkswagen Golf TDI, Clean Green Diesel Hatchback
As regular readers no doubt recall, we [heart] the 2010 Volkswagen Golf TDI. We think it'll be the big diesel winner in the U.S. market, and that's before we've even driven one. But Bengt Halvorson loved his drive in a European version of the 2010 Golf TDI. Now, our colleague Marty Padgett has...
John Voelcker October 23, 2009
Here It Is: New 2012 Ford Escape, But Will There Be a Hybrid?
The Ford Escape compact sport utility, including its hybrid model, is now long in the tooth or beyond. It was first introduced as a 2001 model, and has been restyled twice. It still sells well, though, and Ford continues to update the hybrid model. Nonetheless, it's overdue for replacement. Now...
John Voelcker October 23, 2009
Hybrids, Yes, But No Dedicated Hybrid Models for Nissan
Nissan has made a bigger bet on electric cars than any other automaker, with plans to launch its 2012 Leaf electric car globally. But if electric cars are the future of green vehicles, hybrids are today's state of the art. And there, Nissan has lagged. It is developing its own hybrid system, but...
John Voelcker October 22, 2009
Plug-In Advocates Target Toyota Over Climate Change, But Why?
Here at GreenCarReports.com, sometimes we get e-mails that make us scratch our heads. For instance, why would advocacy group Plug In America target Toyota, which offers the popular 2010 Prius? Why would it slam the world's undisputed leader in hybrid-car development, the company that made...
John Voelcker October 22, 2009