The Daimler subsidiary said the fleet had been rolled out based on a promised network of 1,000 charging stations from ECOtality, due by the end of 2011.

So far 400 had been installed, 126 of which were in its 45 square mile Home Area and only 54 were accessible to its 40,000 members, a spokesperson said. “ECOtality’s failure to follow through on its commitment to install adequate EV infrastructure has made it very difficult to efficiently operate and maintain our EV fleet,” they added.

The company’s 400 electric smart fortwos will be replaced with petrol equivalents beginning on the 1st of May, with the fleet expected to have been completely swapped by the end of that month. Its announcement comes shortly after the California Public Utility Commission authorised San Diego Gas and Electric to install 3,500 chargers in the region, announced in February.