Cozumel Replaces Horse-Drawn Carriages with Electric Models in Tourism Shift

Cozumel, Quintana Roo — The island of Cozumel is transitioning its traditional horse-drawn tourist carriages to electric models in a gradual shift aimed at improving sustainability and animal welfare.

Julio Azcorra Rejón, director of Carruajes del Caribe, announced that three electric carriages have already been incorporated, with two more expected to join the fleet within the next two months. This will bring electric vehicles to 50 percent of the company’s operations.

The project ultimately aims to replace all ten horses still in service, though the process has been gradual because the carriages are handcrafted locally. “We’ve been offered equipment from China, but based on experience we saw it didn’t work in Yucatan,” Azcorra explained. “Here, because of coastal conditions, the system needs to be more resistant.”

Each electric vehicle costs approximately 350,000 to 400,000 pesos, including the battery system and carriage construction. They have a daily range of 70 to 80 kilometers, well-suited for tourist routes of 4 to 6 kilometers.

The company plans to expand operating hours into the evening to offer special sunset tours with dinners, coordinated with travel agencies and hotels. Currently, they await authorization from the Municipal Transportation Subdirectorate and IMOVEQROO to operate during afternoon and evening hours, which would create differentiated experiences without conflicting with taxi services since these would be tours rather than transportation services.

Azcorra acknowledged that horses remain a strong attraction for visitors, with 80 percent of tourists choosing horse-drawn carriages when both options are available. This has led the company to display only electric carriages to help tourists become accustomed to them and comply with animal welfare regulations.