new york Electric car unveiled at show meant to replace horse-drawn carriages

Associated Press

NEW YORK

An electric car that proponents hope will replace horse-drawn carriages in New York City was presented Thursday at the New York International Auto Show, as critics expressed their distaste for the idea.

The “Horseless eCarriage” prototype was commissioned by NYCLASS, a group advocating for a ban on carriage horses because they say it’s inhumane to have the animals toiling in an urban environment.

The prototype car seats eight people and is made to look like it’s from the early 20th century, with lots of brass and oversized wheels. Creator Jason Wenig of The Creative Workshop, a car restoration and customization business, said the selling price could be between $150,000 and $175,000.

Wenig called the car “an homage” to an earlier time, with a body shape that “reflects and celebrates an era that’s of amazing historical significance to this city.”

But before the cars could make their way to the streets around Central Park, legislation banning the carriage horses would have to be passed. Mayor Bill de Blasio wants to ban the horses. But carriage-horse operators and their allies — including actor Liam Neeson — have loudly opposed the mayor’s plan, and the council has not yet introduced the legislation.

The Central Park Conservancy, a nonprofit that oversees the park in partnership with the city, was against the idea of bringing more cars into the popular place.