Replica of 'first' electric car drives through Paris to mark 140 years

This is what an electric car looked like 140 years ago

It's regarded as the first viable, battery-powered electric vehicle

Locator: Paris, France

This replica of the 1881 car was commissioned for the anniversary

(SOUNDBITE) (English) CATHERINE GRIFFIN, CURATOR AT BRITISH MOTOR MUSEUM, SAYING:

"The history of electric vehicles is really rooted a lot further back than people realize. So I think it's really great to have a celebration 140 years on that shows that this technology was around and did exist and was actually adopted quite widely back at the start."

The recreation of the car pays homage to its inventor

(SOUNDBITE) (English) CATHERINE GRIFFIN, CURATOR AT BRITISH MOTOR MUSEUM, SAYING:

"So, Gustave Trouve, when he combined and electric motor, a rechargeable battery and a cycle very similar to this one; that would be one of the earliest if the not the earliest electric vehicle to be seen on the roads."