In Brussels’ central square, tourists have swapped horse-drawn carriages for electric ones, partly due to concern about the animals’ welfare.
Since the start of June, Brussels has been the first city in Europe to make a complete transition to electric vehicles away from horse-drawn carriages for city tours.
Thibault Danthine launched his project this summer with two new vehicles after winning a call for funding from the city of Brussels in 2022.
Danthine, as city carriage operator, told Euronews that the transition was inspired in part by the ethical dilemmas of horse-drawn carriages.
“There were logistical and human resources issues. It was getting harder and harder to find drivers. And ethics are changing, the relationship with animals is different nowadays, and it’s less accepted to have a commercial activity with animals”, he said.
Last year, a horse died in Seville while pulling a carriage with tourists in the middle of a heat wave.
Danthine has sold his six horses, claiming he was convinced that electric carriages would continue to attract people.
“I never had the slightest doubt that electric horse-drawn carriages would continue to attract people. Because people today want to experience something new, something unusual, something to do with family or friends,” Danthine said.
The entrepreneur has invested several hundred thousand euros in two vehicles, that were manufactured in Poland. A third will be delivered this summer.
The brand is called Anderson, a nod to Robert Anderson — the 19th century inventor best known for inventing the first crude electric carriage in Scotland between 1832 and 1839.
Danthine’s carriages have a range of 120 kilometres, and have to be recharged once every two days.
Many city residents are enthusiastic about the change.
“I think the change from horse-drawn carriages to these new electric carriages is better, not only because the horses were making a lot of noise and smelling a lot in the city, but also for the animals, because they were spending a lot of hours outside in a city that has a lot of tourists,” Sari, a student, said.
Other cities have already contacted Thibault Danthine about changing to electric carriages.
