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

Anti-Tesla Laws In AZ, MI, NJ & TX Nominated For 'Luddite Award' John Voelcker January 26, 2015

Awards to dealerships and car-dealer groups are common, and often both appreciated and promoted by their recipients.

A new award nomination that recognizes the work of state dealer lobbyists,...
Tesla Trounces Hellcat, Electric Cars Get More Fast Chargers: The Week In Reverse (Video)
What was the big news this week in electric car charging? And why is one Hellcat owner really, really miserable right about now? This is our video look back at the Week In Reverse--right here at Green Car Reports--for the week ending on Friday, January 23, 2015. Friday, we covered the growing...
John Voelcker January 25, 2015

Tesla Sales Model Intrigues Volvo, Lexus, AutoNation--Though Dealers Must Remain, By Law
Electric-car maker Tesla Motors has shaken up the auto industry in many ways, and it continues to do so. Now, aspects of Tesla's online direct-sales model are starting to influence other companies in the car business--and their executives are saying so--even as lobbyists for franchised car...
John Voelcker January 23, 2015
Electric-Car Fast-Charging Networks: Competition Heats Up
It's always interesting to reporters when a news story produces unsolicited counterpoints from affected parties. Yesterday's announcement of the agreement among BMW, Volkswagen, and ChargePoint to install roughly 100 electric-car DC fast-charging stations by the end of the year spawned two separate...
John Voelcker January 23, 2015
U.S. Senate Votes Against Affirming Climate Science Validity
Would you trust a politician who believes the earth is flat? Or that the sun revolves around the earth? Or that the Holocaust never happened? No? Then what do we make of politicians who continue to deny the accepted scientific consensus that human activity is affecting the climate? DON'T MISS: U.S...
John Voelcker January 23, 2015
BMW, VW, And ChargePoint To Build 100 CCS Fast-Charging Sites For Electric Cars
As electric-car drivers know, Nissan and Tesla remain far ahead of other carmakers in availability of DC fast-charging locations for their cars. Now, growing sales of U.S. and German plug-in models that use a different standard have led their owners to complain about the lack of sites to...
John Voelcker January 22, 2015
2015 Chevrolet Spark EV To Go On Sale In Maryland This Spring John Voelcker January 22, 2015

General Motors said today that it will begin selling its 2015 Chevrolet Spark EV in the state of Maryland this spring, the first East Coast state in which the electric minicar will be available.

The...

Diesel Engines Selling Well In Large Luxury SUVs & Crossovers
In the U.S., diesel engines have long been established in pickup trucks. In passenger cars, however, they've remained a small part of the overall market. But diesels seem to be doing well in another segment: larger SUVs, particularly those from luxury makers, like Audi, BMW, and Mercedes-Benz...
John Voelcker January 21, 2015
Hyundai Plans Hybrids, Electric Cars & More: 5 Questions With Green R&D Head Ki-Sang Lee
The Hyundai Motor Group, encompassing both the Hyundai and Kia brands, is known as one of the most aggressive competitors in the global auto business. And the company has big plans for expanding its lineup of green vehicles, as we learned in an interview last week with Ki-Sang Lee, a senior vice...
John Voelcker January 20, 2015
Once More, Infiniti Electric Car Is Killed Off (Or Postponed?)
The electric-car headlines at last week's Detroit Auto Show clearly belonged to the Chevrolet Bolt concept, a subcompact 200-mile electric car. But another news item is just now coming to light: A representative for Nissan's luxury brand, Infiniti, says the carmaker has shelved plans to offer a...
John Voelcker January 20, 2015
2016 Chevrolet Volt: Seats Five, But Not (Really) On A Fifth Seat
The new 2016 Chevrolet Volt, its designers and engineers say, carries many features requested by owners of the first-generation Volt built from 2011 through this year. Among them are more electric range, an illuminated charging port ... and a fifth seating position. DON'T MISS: 2016 Chevrolet Volt...
John Voelcker January 19, 2015
Chrysler CEO: Industry Can Meet MPG Targets, But They Should Be Delayed
Sergio Marchionne, CEO of newly merged Fiat Chrysler Automobiles, is not a man to mince words. While carmakers can meet fuel-economy requirements for 2025, he said last week, he slammed government efforts to boost plug-in electric cars. The industry will find the most cost-effective way to meet...
John Voelcker January 19, 2015

Tesla P85D Destroys Dodge Challenger Hellcat On Dragstrip: Electric Car Thrashes 707-HP Hemi (Video) John Voelcker January 19, 2015

Say "P85D" to Tesla owners and fans, and you will see the drooling and twitching and heavy breathing and lustful stares--and more drooling--that Tesla's fastest, highest-performance electric car...
Chevy Bolt, 2016 Volt, New Sonata Hybrids, Honda Electric Car: The Week In Reverse (Video)
Which green-car concept did GM almost manage to keep a surprise until an executive leaked it? And what were the greenest of the new production cars and concepts at this week's Detroit Auto Show? This is our video look back at the Week In Reverse--right here at Green Car Reports--for the week ending...
John Voelcker January 18, 2015
Scion iQ To Be Pulled Off Sale As Tiny Car Fails To Sell In U.S.
With a handful of new models coming this year, Toyota's "youth brand" Scion is clearing the decks. One of the casualties is its unsuccessful iQ minicar. The little car, often mistaken for the two-seat Smart ForTwo but actually a "3 + 1-seater" (at least technically), never met its sales goals. Last...
John Voelcker January 17, 2015
New Metric For Car Efficiency: Miles Per Dollar Spent On Energy?
It's downright confusing trying to calculate how much it costs to run green cars, whether it's a 50-mpg Toyota Prius or a highly efficient electric car like the 124-MPGe BMW i3. One of the problems is how to use different efficiency ratings for various powertrains--gasoline, hybrid, electric--to...
John Voelcker January 16, 2015
Is The 2016 Chevy Volt GM's Future Hybrid System In Disguise?
At 50 miles, the 2016 Chevrolet Volt offers the longest range of any plug-in hybrid (though the range-extended BMW i3 electric car is rated at 72 miles). Announced this week at the Detroit Auto Show, following an October technical briefing, the technology in the new Volt may turn out to hold some...
John Voelcker January 16, 2015
How Many Tesla Model S Electric Cars Have Been Built So Far?
While Tesla likely won't reveal last year's total production of Model S electric cars until it releases year-end financial results, it has said it expected to build 33,000 during 2014. And with the Model S in production for more than two and a half years, clearly there are tens of thousands of them...
John Voelcker January 16, 2015

BMW i Electric Car Sales Surge For 2014; More To Come, Company Says John Voelcker January 15, 2015

Introduced in Germany late in 2013, and on sale in North America starting last May, the BMW i3 electric car has produced sales figures higher than some analysts expected.

Now the carmaker has said...
Hydrogen Stations In California: How Many Needed As Fuel-Cell Cars Arrive?
Wiithin two years, some Californians will be able to lease or buy a hydrogen fuel-cell vehicle from at least three well-known carmakers: Honda, Hyundai, and Toyota. Their state is working hard to ensure that those drivers will have sites at which they can fuel those vehicles. DON'T MISS: Japan...
John Voelcker January 15, 2015
2016 Chevrolet Volt: Celebrities Come Out For LA Launch Party
By this point, the 2016 Chevrolet Volt launch at this week's Detroit Auto Show may feel like old news to followers of GM's plug-in hybrid compact hatchback. The evening of the same day that GM CEO Mary Barra showed the 2016 Volt, it was revealed to a different crowd as well: Los Angeles...
John Voelcker January 14, 2015
2015 Tesla Model S P85D: 2015 Detroit Auto Show Live Photos
Tesla Motors has shown off its Model S electric luxury sport sedan at the Detroit Auto Show since 2011. This year, its stand included both its newest and highest-performance version of the Model S--the P85D--and the standard S85D model, featuring all-wheel drive without the high-performance...
John Voelcker January 14, 2015
2018 Chevrolet Bolt Electric Car: What It Is & Isn't, What It Means For Tesla
The great thing about the Detroit Auto Show is that it brings so many global auto industry executives together under one roof. So there's been a lot of discussion about the Chevrolet Bolt electric-car concept here: what it is (for buyers, for GM, and for other carmakers), what it isn't...
John Voelcker January 13, 2015
Honda To Offer New Electric Car, Plug-In Hybrid Model By 2018
Honda had no new products to unveil at this year's Detroit Auto Show, although it did show its hydrogen fuel-cell powered Honda FCV Concept car for the first time in North America. The company announced, however, that it would produce two all-new plug-in vehicles by 2018: one battery-electric car...
John Voelcker January 13, 2015