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

2016 Mazda MX-5 Miata: The Greenest New Sports Car You Can Buy? John Voelcker July 29, 2015

The 2016 Mazda MX-5 Miata is the newest generation of the world's most popular sports car.

The iconic two-seater passed the British MGB more than a decade ago to become the highest-volume sports car...
Why Do Fuel-Cell Vehicles Make Electric-Car Advocates So Crazy?
Last Thursday, Green Car Reports published a story noting that the several dozen drivers of Hyundai Tucson Fuel Cell vehicles had expressed deep frustration with the unreliability of Southern California's current hydrogen fueling stations. That story hit a chord; as of this morning, it's...
John Voelcker July 28, 2015

Refuting Selective, Slanted Coverage Of Electric Cars: The Pioneer's Never-Ending Task
It's a hard-wired human response to be wary of new or changing things. In past millennia, it may have kept us alive longer. And when you're talking about a household's second-most-expensive purchase, it's not surprising that most car buyers are cautious, letting others be pioneers first. But for...
John Voelcker July 27, 2015
Toyota Avalon Hybrid Discounts: Large 40-MPG Sedan Discounts Rise
With gas prices still relatively reasonable, sales of hybrid cars seem to have plateaued--and that means carmakers are boosting incentives on several models. The Toyota Avalon Hybrid has always been one of our favorites, and in recent months, incentives have risen on the three-year-old big sedan...
John Voelcker July 27, 2015
AWD Electric Car Beats Tesla P90D Acceleration, Built By German Student Team (Video)
Electric-car advocates know that a seamless rush of maximum torque from 0 rpm is one of the secret advantages of using an electric motor to power a vehicle. And that fact--most publicly shown off by the Tesla Model S P85D performance model, and now by its even faster successor, the P90D--has pretty...
John Voelcker July 26, 2015
CA Fuel-Cell Car Drivers Say Hydrogen Fuel Unavailable, Stations Don't Work (UPDATED)
While they enjoy driving their cars, early lessees of hydrogen fuel-cell vehicles in Southern California are complaining that they can't reliably fuel them at the handful of stations now supposedly operating in their region. The stations are frequently inoperative, they say, closed for days or...
John Voelcker July 25, 2015
Hydrogen Fueling Troubles, 3000-HP Electric Car, Nissan Leaf Lawsuit: The Week In Reverse (Video) John Voelcker July 25, 2015

Why are 70 drivers of hydrogen-powered Hyundai Tucson Fuel Cell vehicles so unhappy these days?

And, who's planning to test an electric car with 3,000 horsepower?

This is our video look back at the...

Apple Wanted To Use BMW i3 As Basis For Its Own Electric Car: Report
BMW and Apple have long cooperated on advanced technology. The German carmaker was the first in the world to incorporate iPod recognition into a car, more than 10 years ago. And the BMW i3 battery-electric car is not only highly advanced technologically--with its carbon-fiber-reinforced plastic...
John Voelcker July 24, 2015
2017 Infiniti Q30 Video: 'Lust And Logic' In Compact Hatchback For Frankfurt Show (UPDATED)
Two years after the unveiling of a concept car that previewed it, the 2017 Infiniti Q30 compact luxury hatchback will launch at the Frankfurt Auto Show in September. Nissan's luxury brand confirmed the launch yesterday, for the same show where that concept--in reality a thinly-disguised version of...
John Voelcker July 21, 2015
Next Toyota Prius Plug-In Hybrid To Have 30 To 35 Miles Of Range: Source
Cars with plugs have been on sale since December 2010, and a second generation will start arriving next year. But while long-range battery-electric cars--the 2017 Chevrolet Bolt EV and an all-new 2017 Nissan Leaf--grab attention, another vehicle on the way could be equally important. That's the...
John Voelcker July 21, 2015
E10 Is Less Corrosive Than Ethanol-Free Gasoline, Research Says
Ethanol is a beleaguered fuel these days, with national availability E85 nowhere in sight, rollout of E15 seemingly stalled, and concerns over its full carbon footprint hotly debated. Most drivers pumping gas pay little attention to its ethanol content, which in several states may now be at 10...
John Voelcker July 20, 2015
Faraday Future: Startup Promises Long-Range Electric Car In 2017
Over cocktails, two former Lotus colleagues met up in Irvine, California, the mecca for car design. They realized they shared a common dream: to create a next-generation electric vehicle... With a photo of a drink on a bar napkin, so begins the creation myth for Faraday Future, the secretive...
John Voelcker July 20, 2015

Do BMW, Mercedes, Volvo Plug-In Hybrid SUVs Compete With Tesla Model X? John Voelcker July 20, 2015

We've known they were coming for more than a year, and now they're within weeks or months of landing in dealerships.

In this case, "they" are the first plug-in hybrid SUV models from BMW,...
Tesla 'Ludicrous' Mode, High-Mile Hybrid, Mirai Signups: The Week In Reverse (Video)
What do Tesla CEO Elon Musk and comedy legend Mel Brooks have in common? And, how many miles can you cover on the original battery pack of a Toyota Prius hybrid? This is our video look back at the Week In Reverse--right here at Green Car Reports--for the week ending on Friday, July 17, 2015...
John Voelcker July 18, 2015
UPDATED: Tesla Model S Gets New 90-kWh Battery, 'Ludicrous' Performance Mode
The Tesla Model S luxury electric sedan will get an upgrade of its highest-capacity battery pack, from 85 to 90 kilowatt-hours, as well as a new optional high-performance mode called "Ludicrous" mode. The news was announced today by Tesla Motors CEO Elon Musk during a press conference (and followed...
John Voelcker July 17, 2015
Plug-In Electric Car Sales Soar Globally Even As U.S. Is Flat This Year
Gasoline prices remain low and sales of plug-in electric cars this year are only about equal to last year's levels. That's led to a number of articles from general media outlets (some of them rather lacking in context) questioning whether electric-car sales have stalled or whether plug-in cars have...
John Voelcker July 17, 2015
How Elon Musk Controls Tesla Motors While Owning Only 27 Percent
Tesla Motors commands outsize attention within the world of electric cars--and the auto industry in general. Its CEO, Elon Musk, has a huge personal following that eagerly hangs on his every word. Or perhaps "his every tweet" would be more appropriate, Twitter often being his preferred mode for...
John Voelcker July 17, 2015
BMW's Ominous Black i8 Fuel-Cell Prototype: What It Sounds Like (Video)
Very, very few people on the planet have ever seen a car powered by hydrogen fuel cells, much less ridden in or driven one. But if you've wondered what they sound like in operation, now's your chance. At a recent technology presentation, BMW showed off two different prototype vehicles powered by...
John Voelcker July 16, 2015

State With Dirtiest Power Grid Had Highest Electric-Car Incentive, But Now Only For Natural-Gas, LPG Cars (UPDATED) John Voelcker July 16, 2015

Life is full of little ironies.

And life in the 50 states that make up the United States of America is full of inconsistencies, including those among electric-car incentives from state to state.

West...
BlueIndy Electric Car-Sharing Parking Spaces Fought By Indianapolis Businesses
It always seemed unlikely, but the BlueIndy electric-car sharing program is getting closer to its rollout in the Midwestern city of Indianapolis, Indiana. The French-made Bollore BlueCar electric two-seaters are closer to arriving, and groups of Level 2 charging stations are popping up at curbsides...
John Voelcker July 14, 2015
Tesla Model S Outsold Nissan Leaf In U.S. During Q1: Report
It's one of the great frustrations for journalists in reporting on electric cars: Tesla Motors refuses to release its monthly deliveries of cars, unlike every other legitimate automaker. The company now gives a global sales total every quarter, but that doesn't help in adding accurate U.S. sales...
John Voelcker July 14, 2015
Elio Motors Raises $22 Million From Small Investors, Still Needs $130 Million More
As one website put it--in a piece tagged to lure Tesla Motors fans--Elio Motors is "the other automotive startup" to which those fans should presumably pay attention. But even Tesla CEO Elon Musk hasn't proposed "crowdsourcing" his product-development funds. Given that Elio now seems to have raised...
John Voelcker July 13, 2015
For Electric Car Standards, China And U.S. Work Together On Regulations
Automotive standards--the explicitly detailed regulations that specify how a car must operate, what equipment it must or must not have, and a whole lot more--govern the design of vehicles sold around the world. And different countries and regions often have long-established standards that directly...
John Voelcker July 13, 2015
UPDATE: Tesla Superchargers Still Free In China; Fees On Sign Apply To Private Charger
Tesla Motors is head and shoulders above any other electric-car maker in providing a network of charging stations for its drivers to use during their travels. It's best known for its Supercharger DC quick-charging sites, but it also provides lower-power "destination chargers" at hotels and other...
John Voelcker July 12, 2015