The auto industry is taking its time, but now the big players are betting heavily on plug-in hybrids and battery-electric technology. So your neighbour bought a Tesla. Cool! Here are three alternatives that don’t involve buying into the Cult of Elon.

ALSO INCLUDING:

• THE CARS THAT DEFINED OUR YEAR ON THE ROAD

• 5 RIDES MARKING THE RETURN OF ECCENTRICITY

• SUVS ARE NOW THE STATUS QUO — AND THAT’S FINE

CHECK BACK FOR MORE ONLINE COVERAGE OF OUR FAVOURITE JOYRIDES OF 2019 IN THE WEEKS TO COME.

Porsche Taycan

It carries an eye-watering price tag, but the Taycan could teach Tesla a thing or two about how to make a car handle. It’s the first electric car from Porsche. Watch this space. (No, really — we’ll share our first dispatch from behind the wheel this week.)

$119,400

Mini Cooper SE

Zero emissions combined with Mini’s go-kart handling? Sign us up. Its driving range (230–270 km) won’t impress Tesla fans, but it should make a brilliant city runabout.

PRICE TBD

Volvo XC40 Recharge

After promising five new fully electric vehicles by 2021, the Swedes have been tight-lipped about details. But their first offering will be an XC40 — so it’s going to be good.

PRICE TBD

BIG MOVES IN EV

1 Electrifying Canada

Audi, Porsche, and Volkswagen have teamed up to roll out the fastest electric-car charging network in the country, under the Electrify Canada banner. More than 30 stations are planned so far. Depending on the car, you can get up to 30 km of driving range for every minute of charging.

2 The Federal EV Incentive

WHAT’S THE DEAL?

• $5,000 back on fully electric vehicles and long-range plug-in hybrids (eg. Tesla Model 3, BMW i3, Volkswagen e-Golf).

• $2,500 back on plug-in hybrids with smaller batteries (eg. Audi A3 e-tron, Mini Countryman S E). 

WHAT ARE THE CAVEATS?

There’s no incentive on vehicles over $60,000, and if you lease a vehicle, you won’t get the full incentive amount.