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

First Eight CA Dealers Announced For 2016 Toyota Mirai Hydrogen Fuel-Cell Car John Voelcker May 6, 2015

With the 2016 Toyota Mirai set to go on sale this October, Toyota has now announced the first eight dealers that will be selling its first production hydrogen fuel-cell vehicle.

Four are in Northern...
How Shell Oil Sees The Future Of Energy And Vehicle Fuels In 2050
It's always good to understand how the huge global energy industry views the worlds of today and tomorrow. At last month's Shell Eco-Marathon fuel-efficiency competition, sponsor Shell Oil provided seminars for attending journalists to explain how the company views the energy landscape from now...
John Voelcker May 6, 2015

Will 2015 Plug-In Electric Car Sales Exceed Last Year's Total?
With most of the data now in for April sales of plug-in electric cars, it's looking as though the first four months of 2015 aren't seeing notably higher numbers than those of 2014. As always, there's some slop in the numbers because Tesla Motors, Fiat Chrysler, and Kia Motors refuse to break out...
John Voelcker May 5, 2015
Why We Call Out Compliance Cars Among All Electric Vehicles
Often reader comments raise issues that are worth covering for a broader audience. So when our reader Brian Lakatos wrote to ask us about the tone of recent coverage of electric cars, we responded at some length--and then decided to turn the response into an article. (Plus, we hate wasting copy...
John Voelcker May 4, 2015
Toyota Prius Brand Perception More Negative In Social Media: Analysis
The Toyota Prius will go down in history as a truly ground-breaking vehicle, both the first and the highest-production hybrid vehicle built to date. It's also the sole vehicle sold in the U.S. this year that is rated at 50 miles per gallon combined--for three different models, no less. But a new...
John Voelcker May 4, 2015
2016 Chevrolet Volt Priced From $33,995, Or $1,175 Lower Than 2015 Volt
The 2016 Chevrolet Volt plug-in hybrid will be priced from $33,995 when it goes on sale sometime this fall, a GM executive said this morning. The price, which includes delivery, is $1,175 lower than that of the outgoing 2015 Volt. The old Volt lacks the 50-mile range, 41-mpg fuel efficiency, and...
John Voelcker May 3, 2015
Tesla Drags, Toyota Irony, Audi Electric SUV: The Week In Reverse (Video) John Voelcker May 2, 2015

Which pastime has our 71-year-old contributor George Parrott taken up in his new Tesla?

And, what irony is China's aggressive electric-car promotion forcing on Toyota?

This is our video look back at...

European Buyers To Skip Over Hybrids, Go Straight To Plug-Ins
While hybrid cars have had a good 10-year run in North America as the most fuel-efficient alternative, Europe never warmed to hybrid-electric powertrains. With roughly half the passenger cars sold in the European Union being powered by more efficient diesel engines, the difference between hybrid...
John Voelcker April 29, 2015
Tesla's Big Bet: Batteries For Energy Storage A 'Major New Product'
Tomorrow night, if its strong hints are accurate, Tesla Motors will announce that it plans to offer lithium-ion battery packs for home and business energy storage. Such storage comes at a cost on top of that of the photovoltaic solar panels that generate the energy. But the promise is that such...
John Voelcker April 29, 2015
China To Force Toyota To Build Electric Cars It Loathes
Toyota has been more than abundantly clear in its belief that the best approach to reducing fuel consumption and offering zero-emission vehicles lies in a combination of its present-day hybrids and future hydrogen fuel-cell cars. It no longer sells the RAV4 EV electric SUV whose powertrain was...
John Voelcker April 28, 2015
Audi Electric 'SUV Coupe' Arrives In 2018 Or 2019: CEO
It's now clear that we'll see a slew of all-electric luxury vehicles with ranges of 200 miles or more from German makers Audi, BMW, and Mercedes-Benz starting in 2017 or 2018. What's less clear is whether those vehicles will be developed as electric cars from the ground up or whether they'll be...
John Voelcker April 27, 2015
More Informed Car Buyers Don't Need Salesmen, But 'Facilitators'
Car buyers today have far more information than they did just 15 years ago, and they're using it. Google says that three-quarters of all auto shoppers now do hours of research before they ever visit a dealer. They can find some information on dealer invoice prices--though not necessarily all the...
John Voelcker April 27, 2015

Will Tesla Model 3 Electric Car Hit 2017 Production Date? John Voelcker April 27, 2015

Electric-car maker Tesla Motors has done many remarkable things in its short decade of existence--including a few the auto industry viewed as impossible.

But the company has never managed to get a...
Tesla Website, Twitter Account, Musk Twitter Briefly Hacked
Electric-car maker Tesla sits in the heart of Silicon Valley, a place where software security is--or should be--a constant focus of attention. Still, corporate websites present a juicy and visible target for hackers worldwide. For a brief period Saturday afternoon, hackers appear to have taken over...
John Voelcker April 26, 2015
Volt Deals, MINI Drive, Tesla & Google, Shanghai Show: The Week In Reverse (Video)
What does E85 ethanol fuel tun out to be really, really good for? And, where do you have to live to get a good clearance deal on a 2015 Chevy Volt, at least right now? This is our video look back at the Week In Reverse--right here at Green Car Reports--for the week ending on Friday, April 24, 2015...
John Voelcker April 25, 2015
2016 Volvo XC90 T8 Plug-In Hybrid Priced At $69,100; Sportier R-Design Is $71,000
We'd missed it until now, but pricing for the 2016 Volvo XC90 T8 'Twin Engine' plug-in hybrid SUV was released earlier this month. The base XC90 T8 Momentum trim level carries a sticker price of $69,095, which includes a mandatory $995 delivery fee. The sportier XC90 T8 R-Design starts at $70,995...
John Voelcker April 24, 2015
Why Nothing Competes With Tesla Today, Plug-In Hybrids Included
Two years ago, the launch of the Porsche Panamera S E-Hybrid produced the first ostensible large luxury plug-in sedan competitor to the Tesla Model S electric car. The Porsche is a plug-in hybrid, with an electric range of 15 or 16 miles; the Tesla is all-electric, with ranges of 208 to 275 miles...
John Voelcker April 24, 2015
How Similar Are Chevy Volt & Malibu Hybrid Powertrains? Very Much; Here's Why
In less than six months, General Motors has unveiled three separate 2016 vehicles that use its hybrid and plug-in hybrid Voltec powertrain. The Chevrolet Volt and Malibu Hybrid, and the Cadillac CT6 Plug-In Hybrid, span three different vehicle segments. One's a compact hatchback, one's a mid-size...
John Voelcker April 23, 2015

Hey, Media: Electric Cars Aren't Hybrids, The Difference Matters John Voelcker April 23, 2015

It all started with an article by Edmunds that boiled down to "owners of green cars are trading them in for SUVs in record numbers."

That may be true--and it has since been widely covered and...
2015 MINI Cooper S Hardtop 4-Door: Gas Mileage Review
In various forms, the MINI has been with us for more than half a century--but its image has always been shaped by the two-door model. The original BMC Mini had two doors and a small trunk; the BMW MINI from 2002 is a more conventional three-door hatchback. Now there's a five-door hatchback model as...
John Voelcker April 22, 2015
Green-Car Buyers More Likely To Pay Cash For New Vehicles: Report
We're not entirely sure what it has to do with Earth Day, to be honest, but here's an odd little statistic. Turns out that buyers of green cars--whether they're hybrids or plug-in electric cars--are somewhat more likely to pay cash for their cars than are buyers of all vehicles on average. DON'T...
John Voelcker April 22, 2015
Where Can Tesla Legally Sell Cars Directly To You? State-By-State Map: LATEST UPDATE
Every month, and often more frequently, a new story appears about the state-by-state battle between Tesla Motors and auto-dealer lobbyists. In some states, Tesla is permitted to sell its electric cars online, deliver them to customers, and open as many Tesla Store showrooms as it wants. In others...
John Voelcker April 22, 2015
How Maryland's Tesla Sales Bill Really Got Passed: Its Sponsor Tells The Story (Video)
Last week, barely minutes before it adjourned, the Maryland House of Representatives passed a bill authorizing Tesla Motors to sell its electric cars from up to four stores in the state. Now, courtesy of a video sent in by a reader, we can hear that bill's sponsor describe the process that led to...
John Voelcker April 22, 2015
China To Top U.S. Electric-Car Sales? Why Stats Don't Compare
Not all electric vehicles are created the same--and that's an important point to keep in mind when you read stories about how China's electric-car market is set to overtake that of the U.S. Last year, roughly 118,000 battery-electric and plug-in hybrid cars were sold in the U.S. In China, monthly...
John Voelcker April 21, 2015