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

VW Deepens Diesel-Scandal Woes With Denials, Confrontation, Muddled Messages John Voelcker January 14, 2016

By this point, the principles of corporate crisis-management communications are pretty well established.

A company with a looming PR catastrophe needs to respond immediately, keep one trustworthy and...
Audi h-Tron Quattro Concept Swaps In Hydrogen Fuel Cell For e-Tron's Battery
Hot on the heels of the all-electric Audi e-Tron Quattro Concept it revealed last fall, VW Group's luxury brand Audi has released a second iteration of the same concept. This one still has all four wheels powered by electric motors, but the electricity to run them comes not from a large battery...
John Voelcker January 14, 2016

Leak At Natural-Gas Field Now One-Quarter Of All CA Methane Emissions (UPDATED)
For half a century, California has been at the forefront of reducing emissions and cleaning up air pollution. And the state has made breathtaking progress since the days of early-Seventies technicolor photochemical smog alerts. But then bad things happen--and a leak at a single natural-gas well...
John Voelcker January 13, 2016
GM Won't Fund CCS Fast-Charging Sites For 2017 Chevy Bolt EV
The 2017 Chevrolet Bolt EV has received largely positive reviews for the production version unveiled last week at the Consumer Electronics Show in Las Vegas. And as the first affordable 200-mile electric car, expected to go on sale before the end of this year, it will likely reset consumer...
John Voelcker January 13, 2016
Kia Niro 'Hybrid Utility Vehicle' First Photos Revealed At Detroit Auto Show
As part of its parent company's push into hybrid, plug-in hybrid, and battery-electric vehicles, Kia will introduce what it calls a 'hybrid utility vehicle' at next month's Chicago Auto Show. Today, at the more influential Detroit Auto Show, the Korean company released the images of that vehicle...
John Voelcker January 11, 2016
2017 Chevrolet Bolt EV Specs Released: Battery Pack, Motor Power, And More
The production version of the 2017 Chevrolet Bolt EV 200-mile electric car made its auto-show debut this morning in Detroit, after last week's global unveiling at the Consumer Electronics Show in Las Vegas. But while the car was familiar, Chevy provided some eagerly sought information on the car's...
John Voelcker January 11, 2016
2016 Detroit Auto Show Preview: Green Car Concepts, Production Cars (UPDATED) John Voelcker January 10, 2016

Detroit this coming week will be bitterly cold, and it's not looking too green either.

Thus far, we know of just a handful of concept cars and new production models that could be described as green...

VW Sales In U.S., Europe Slammed By Diesel Emission Scandal (UPDATED)
It's been a little more than three months since the Volkswagen diesel emission scandal erupted into the public eye. Over that time, VW has revealed multiple violations of emissions rules across the globe for roughly 11 million of its TDI diesel cars sold not only by Volkswagen but also Audi and...
John Voelcker January 9, 2016
Chevy Bolt EV Driven, VW Budd-e, 2016 Best Car To Buy: The Week In Reverse
Which eagerly-anticipated electric car did we finally get to drive this week? And, how many cars did Tesla Motors actually manage to deliver last year? This is our look back at the Week In Reverse--right here at Green Car Reports--for the week ending on Friday, January 8, 2016. First, a note...
John Voelcker January 9, 2016
Electric-Car Buyers Not As Loyal To The Plug As They Think
It's often said that once you drive an electric car, you'll never want to go back to one with a conventional engine. And various surveys of first-time drivers to actual plug-in car buyers support that notion. But some new data indicate that people who've owned an electric car don't, in fact, always...
John Voelcker January 8, 2016
To Be Successful, Electric Cars Need Intercity Fast Charging: Opinion
We are on the cusp of a revolution in the electric car industry. But it is not at all clear that the revolution will or even can happen, because the charging infrastructure is just not there--and it is not clear that there are any plans to develop one. The industry desperately needs a reliable and...
John Voelcker January 8, 2016
Is Honda Accord Hybrid Gone? Yes, For A Year--But It'll Be Back
The Honda Accord Hybrid has the highest fuel-economy rating of any mid-size hybrid sedan: 47 mpg combined. That's better than any other competitor now on sale, including hybrid models of the Ford Fusion, Hyundai Sonata, Kia Optima, and Toyota Camry. But the hybrid Accord has quietly vanished from...
John Voelcker January 8, 2016

First Drive: Chevy Bolt EV 200-Mile Electric Car Development Vehicle John Voelcker January 6, 2016

If the production version of the 2017 Chevrolet Bolt EV lives up to the engineering development vehicles we saw and drove today, it will debut a new world of affordable, 200-mile electric cars that...
Faraday Future Shows FFZero1 Concept, But What Did We Learn?
Mysterious startup carmaker Faraday Future has now revealed the FFZERO1 concept, a supercar built to demonstrate the flexibility of its modular electric-car architecture. The Variable Platform Architecture, or VPA, is essentially a skateboard design with a flat battery pack, a motor on one or both...
John Voelcker January 6, 2016
2016 Chevrolet Malibu Hybrid: First Drive Of Sedan Using Volt Hybrid System
The second generation of GM’s Voltec plug-in hybrid system is now powering a car that doesn’t actually have a plug at all. The new 2016 Chevrolet Malibu Hybrid uses essentially the same powertrain as the 2016 Chevy Volt, but with a far smaller battery pack. That makes it a new entrant...
John Voelcker January 5, 2016
Chevrolet Volt: Green Car Reports' Best Car To Buy 2016
Every year, Green Car Reports picks a new car or model line that we feel is the best green car for that new model year. This year, we picked a car that's the all-new version of one that was revolutionary when it was introduced several years ago. The latest version improves on it in pretty much...
John Voelcker January 4, 2016
Tesla 2015 Deliveries Squeak Past 50,000, With 208 Model X During Q4
Tesla Motors said on Sunday that it delivered 17,400 electric cars during the fourth quarter of last year, from September 1 through December 31. Of those, 17,192 were Model S sedans and 208 were the newly launched Model X crossover utility vehicle. That brings Tesla's total deliveries for the...
John Voelcker January 4, 2016
Long-Range Electric VW 'Budd.e' Concept To Debut At CES (UPDATED)--Video
The rumor of an electric Volkswagen Bus concept to be shown at next month's Consumer Electronics Show first appeared in September, just before the VW diesel emission scandal erupted. In the wake of a pledge to boost its vehicle electrification efforts, Volkswagen has now confirmed that it will show...
John Voelcker January 2, 2016

Green Car Reports Year In Reverse: 2015's Five Biggest Stories John Voelcker December 31, 2015

At the end of every year, we look back to see which Green Car Reports stories proved most popular over the last 365 days.

While we often focus on breaking news, certain stories--often guides and...
VW Buybacks, Payments For Hard-To-Fix Diesels Will Cost Billions
Hundreds of thousands of diesel-VW owners are waiting to find out how their cars will be updated to meet emissions standards, once modifications are approved by regulators. And Volkswagen Group has clearly been tarnished by the emission-cheating scandal, which affects 11 million cars worldwide. But...
John Voelcker December 30, 2015
Green Car Reports: Best Reader Of The Year Award
Green Car Reports has many readers, more than we thought possible seven years ago, when we launched the site. While many readers dip into a few articles without commenting or interacting, a substantial number of you read most of our articles and comment, sometimes vigorously. You also send us tips...
John Voelcker December 30, 2015
2016 Nissan Leaf: First Drive Of 107-Mile Electric Car
Electric-car buyers have eagerly waited for the 2016 Nissan Leaf, whose SV and SL models now offer a higher range, rated by the EPA at 107 miles. That's up from the 84 miles of last year's Leaf, and so we eagerly accepted a short-term loan of a new 2016 Leaf SL to test the car ourselves. The bottom...
John Voelcker December 29, 2015
Ford Wants To Develop Its Own Battery Chemistries For Hybrids, Electric Cars, But Why?
When it announced a range increase for its 2017 Focus Electric earlier this month, Ford executives also revealed an intriguing snippet about the company's battery plans. The company is conducting its own research into fundamental battery chemistries, and could develop its own cells for use in...
John Voelcker December 29, 2015
2016 Toyota Prius: Gas Mileage Review Of 50-MPG-Plus Hybrid
After spending four days and covering 440 miles with a new Toyota Prius, we can say that in our first real-world testing, the car delivers on its 50-mpg promise. We got daily readings of 50 to 54 miles per gallon in a mix of three-quarters highway miles and one-quarter low-speed local use. Our...
John Voelcker December 28, 2015