Brussels unveils Europe's first electric carriage for tourism

Brussels has launched the first electric carriages in Europe to operate city tours. The vehicle, which replaces traditional horse and cart rides, was inaugurated on the Grand Place on Thursday.

In 2022, Thibault Danthine, the operator of the horse-drawn tourist carriage service in Brussels, decided to call it quits because of too few staff and too much criticism about the use of horses for commercial purposes. He proposed using electric carriages and the city of Brussels embraced the idea. 

Electric carriages have been around for some time, but this is the first time they have been used for tourist purposes. By reintroducing the carriage service, the city hopes to attract 15,000 tourists a year. They will be able to choose from several routes starting at the Grand Place. A tour of the capital's historic centre will cost 70 euros per group. 

The electric carriage presented on Thursday is the first of three. The second will begin operating this summer, with the third expected later in the year.

^{A horse and carriage wait in the rain at Grand Place, Brussels in 2021 © BELGA PHOTO NICOLAS MAETERLINCK}