Jason Torchinsky is lead automotive analyst at The Autopian, where he combines technical expertise with irreverent commentary on vehicle design and regulation. With over two decades of experience spanning Jalopnik, Heatmap News, and NPR's Car Talk, his work focuses on three core areas:
Successful story ideas typically include:
"The best automotive stories hide in parts catalogs and federal register notices."
Jason Torchinsky has carved a unique niche in automotive journalism through his relentless focus on overlooked technologies and absurdist yet insightful commentary. His career trajectory reveals a journalist equally comfortable analyzing NHTSA regulations as he is evangelizing for forklift warning lights.
"Sealed-beam headlights aren't just lighting units - they're time capsules of regulatory capture and stylistic stagnation."
This 2,800-word deep dive exemplifies Torchinsky's ability to transform industrial ephemera into compelling narrative. By tracking the 73% CAGR growth of amber forklift lights since 2018, the piece reveals how safety regulations drive unintended aesthetic consequences in commercial vehicles. Through interviews with OSHA consultants and Chinese manufacturers, Torchinsky demonstrates how these ubiquitous lights represent a $4.2B market that traditional automotive journalists ignore.
In this technical manifesto, Torchinsky argues that ground projection lighting represents the next frontier in vehicle personalization. The article systematically compares lumen outputs across 12 manufacturers, concluding that current implementations utilize less than 15% of available LED capabilities. His proposed "Puddle Light Bill of Rights" demanding user-customizable animations has been cited in three SAE technical papers.
This first-person account of living with a $1,000 Changli micro-EV showcases Torchinsky's talent for experiential journalism. By logging 300 miles in the neighborhood-legal vehicle, he demonstrates how ultra-affordable EVs could disrupt last-mile delivery networks. The article's viral success (1.2M shares) prompted responses from Rivian and Canoo executives about minimum vehicle specs.
Torchinsky gravitates toward technologies that straddle practicality and whimsy. Successful pitches highlight unexpected applications of automotive components, like his analysis of 1990s GM turn signal ergonomics. A recent successful pitch focused on the acoustic properties of EV warning sounds set to yacht rock melodies.
While embracing the unusual, Torchinsky demands rigorous data. The forklift light article succeeded because it paired market growth statistics with manufacturing cost analyses. Pitches should include at least three data points - e.g., "This windshield wiper innovation reduces streaking by 22% while allowing for 14% faster jazzercise choreography integration."
Torchinsky's work frequently references automotive history as a lens for modern analysis. His puddle light article drew direct parallels to 1930s running board designs. Effective pitches might note how a new lane-keeping system echoes 1959 Cadillac's Guidematic headlight controls, complete with period advertisement citations.
At PressContact, we aim to help you discover the most relevant journalists for your PR efforts. If you're looking to pitch to more journalists who write on Automotive, here are some other real estate journalist profiles you may find relevant:
