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

New Prius Efficiency, Gigafactory Flyover, Famous Electric-Car Driver: The Week In Reverse (Video) John Voelcker May 23, 2015

Which famous race driver turns out to love driving his electric car around London?

And, what really gigantic object did a drone fly over, and shoot video of, last weekend?

This is our video look back...
Next Toyota Prius Hybrid: 40-Percent Thermal Efficiency From Engine, Toyota Says
You may not hear about the thermal efficiency of engines much: It's the ratio of how efficiently they use the energy in the fuel they burn. Conventional gasoline engines have long run about 25 percent, diesels at 30 to 35 percent. But the gasoline engine to be used in the next generation of the...
John Voelcker May 22, 2015

Sexy BMW i8 Plug-In Hybrid Falls To Sticker Price As Dealer Markups Wane
Any insanely alluring, attractive, enticing car will likely see dealer markups when it first goes on sale. Ask any potential buyer of a new Chevy Corvette or Dodge Hellcat model how much their dealership added to the sticker price for the first ones on the lot. And the same applied as well to the...
John Voelcker May 21, 2015
How Much Do Plug-In Hybrids Plug In? Volt Has Most Electric Miles, Data Shows
It's one of the big unknowns about plug-in hybrids: How much do they actually get plugged in? Battery-electric cars have to plug in to remain usable, but plug-in hybrids and range-extended electric vehicles don't. And while some makers--most notably Chevrolet and Ford--happily release data showing...
John Voelcker May 20, 2015
Who Drives Electric? Famous Racing Driver Stirling Moss, It Turns Out
Celebrities are always a good way to draw attention to cars. Now the U.K. arm of French carmaker Renault has made a short video about one very well-known driver of its Twizy electric car. That would be none other than Sir Stirling Moss, one of the most famous racing drivers of all time. DON'T MISS...
John Voelcker May 20, 2015
German State To Test City 'Eco Lane' For Cleanest Cars, Carpools
Carpool lanes have been an accepted part of the landscape in California for more than 40 years now. But they're less well-known in Europe, where bus lanes have taken priority instead--largely due to pervasive and well-accepted mass transit systems. But now Germany is planning to test the concept of...
John Voelcker May 19, 2015
Tesla Gigafactory: Drone Flyover Shows How Huge It Really Is John Voelcker May 18, 2015

The very word "gigafactory" makes Tesla Motors' lithium-ion cell fabrication and battery assembly plant sound quite large.

But how huge it actually is can be hard to comprehend.

Context is provided...

2016 Chevrolet Camaro Loses Weight, Adds Turbo Four For Fuel Economy
Muscle-car fans pretty much set the Internet on fire this weekend as news and photos of the redesigned 2016 Chevrolet Camaro coupe emerged. The second generation of the reanimated Camaro pony car has tauter styling, more power, and less weight. All of that adds up to a car with tauter handling that...
John Voelcker May 18, 2015
Why LG Chem Leads In Electric-Car Batteries: Materials Science, It Says
The top three battery makers for electric cars today are Panasonic, AESC, and LG Chem. But while Panasonic sells largely to Tesla, and AESC is a joint venture half-owned by Nissan, LG sells its cells to more carmakers than any other battery company. And the secret to that success is LG's expertise...
John Voelcker May 18, 2015
$75,000 Cadillac ELR Coupe Price Was 'Overestimate', Chief Marketer Says
The Cadillac Converj concept, a range-extended electric coupe design, debuted to favorable reviews in January 2009. That was pretty much the last time much went right for the car, which went on sale in December 2013 as the 2014 Cadillac ELR. Now Cadillac's head marketer has admitted that pricing...
John Voelcker May 17, 2015
What Should Georgia Electric-Car Buyers Do By June 30?
Georgia's income-tax credit for the purchase of a zero-emission vehicle will become history in about six weeks. That poses a problem for the state's electric-car shoppers: Buy before June 30 to take advantage of the expiring credit, or wait for improved battery-electric cars expected to arrive...
John Voelcker May 15, 2015
Why Higher Gas Taxes Would Have Been Best Way To Save Fuel
It's now a widely-accepted tenet of today's U.S. political landscape: You just can't come out and advocate for higher taxes. For any purpose, under any circumstances, no matter what the end purposes. Any politician who does so will be punished by voters. DON'T MISS: Low Gas Price An Opportunity For...
John Voelcker May 15, 2015

What If China's Plug-In Hybrids Were Never Actually Plugged In? (Or California's?) John Voelcker May 14, 2015

China has had difficulty getting its New Energy Vehicle program off the ground for a number of reasons.

While it was initially focused on battery-electric vehicles, buyers have proven more receptive...
2015 Ford Focus EcoBoost: Brief Drive Of 1.0-Liter Three-Cylinder Sedan
The 2015 Ford Focus EcoBoost may be the most European car Ford sells in the U.S. It's fun, but not fast. It handles well, and has a small engine that requires energetic use of the manual gearbox to keep up with traffic. That all means that very few U.S. buyers will ever consider it, since fewer...
John Voelcker May 14, 2015
Fortune Puts Volt In 'Dustbin Of History' Despite New Model Coming (UPDATE)
Two carmakers sell plug-in electric cars; one is a pricey, sexy all-electric sport sedan, the other a range-extended electric compact hatchback. One (the Tesla Model S) is a huge success, with its maker "going from strength to strength." The other (the Chevy Volt) is "headed to the dustbin of...
John Voelcker May 14, 2015
Colorado's Electric-Car Credit: Applies To Used Cars Too
The checkerboard pattern of constantly changing electric-car incentives and fees among the 50 American states often baffles outsiders. And as states go, Colorado has a mixed record. But its electric-car incentive turns out to have a quirk not shared by any other state, as far as we can determine...
John Voelcker May 13, 2015
FTC Calls Michigan's Tesla Ban 'Protectionism' For Dealers
Tesla Motors has had varied success in its efforts to fight state laws making its direct online-sales model illegal. The electric-car maker lost a round in Michigan last fall, but now a government agency has weighed in on Michigan's revision to its franchise law. Let's just say that the U.S...
John Voelcker May 13, 2015
2015 Chevrolet Trax: Gas Mileage Review Of Small SUV
Sport-utility vehicles are all about hauling stuff, so collecting a set of 40-year-old wheels seemed like the perfect road test for the new 2015 Chevrolet Trax. The subcompact SUV offered cargo space for the wheels--which, frankly, would have fit into a sedan--along with decent gas mileage on our...
John Voelcker May 12, 2015

Hyundai Tucson Fuel Cell: Early Drivers Discuss Experiences Traveling On Hydrogen John Voelcker May 11, 2015

There have already been more Hyundai Tucson Fuel Cell vehicles leased in the U.S. than any other hydrogen-powered vehicle.

Through April, Hyundai has leased 68 of the small SUVs since last June, when...
Tesla Energy: What We Learned About Powerwall Demand On Q1 Results Call
The quarterly earnings calls held by Tesla Motors are always a chance to hear CEO Elon Musk describe the Silicon Valley carmaker's operations and outlooks. But last week's call was a first: The bulk of the questions by financial analysts weren't about the company's electric cars. Rather than...
John Voelcker May 11, 2015
Tesla Model X, Model 3, Gigafactory: What We Learned On Q1 Results Call
The quarterly earnings call held Wednesday afternoon by Tesla Motors is always a chance to hear how CEO Elon Musk views the operations of his carmaking company. But the call following release of the first-quarter 2015 results was a little different. Roughly two-thirds of the allotted time was spent...
John Voelcker May 8, 2015
2016 Chevy Volt To Get California Carpool Lane Access
Access to the carpool lane in California with only a single occupant has proven to be one of the more effective incentives to get the state's drivers to buy electric cars. The first year and a half of Chevy Volt range-extended electric cars didn't qualify, but Volt sales in California surged once...
John Voelcker May 8, 2015
Plug-In Electric Car Sales In Apr: Pace Continues Steady: FINAL UPDATE
Sales of plug-in electric cars in April held few real surprises, coming in at about the average rate of previous months. The now-aging Nissan Leaf saw deliveries of 1,553 units last month, bringing the year's total to 5,638 and the total delivered in the U.S. since December 2010 to almost 78,000...
John Voelcker May 7, 2015
Has Elon Musk Cut Tesla's 2015 Electric-Car Guidance A Bit, Maybe?
After the New York financial markets close this afternoon, Tesla Motors will release its first-quarter financial results and its quarterly letter to shareholders. The company announced last month, just after the close of the quarter, that it had delivered 10,030 Model S electric cars. DON'T MISS...
John Voelcker May 6, 2015