The partnership forms part of the Rome Manifesto, which aims to increase the use of electric vehicles and sustainable transport in the Italian capital. Ticket holders will be able to rent the vehicles from €8 per hour, with electricity for recharging provided by Italian utility company Enel.

Giuseppe Sciarrone, general manager, Italo-NTV, said: ‘Italo is an eco-friendly train that offers a greener way to travel. The train offers less noise pollution and energy consumption than other forms of transport and is 98% built from recyclable materials – a testimony to our strong commitment to the environment. Thanks to our partnership with Hertz, we are particularly glad to be able to offer our passengers a sustainable and efficient solution to get around in the city once they step off the train.’

Hertz offers a fleet of electric and plug-in hybrid vehicles covering three continents, including London and Oxford in the UK, Washington D.C., New York and San Francisco the United States and another in Shanghai, China. The company said it plans to use its fleet management tools and consumer-facing GPS systems, such as Hertz NeverLost in the United States, to form an electric vehicle grid.

Massimiliano Archiapatti, general manager, Hertz Italy, said: ‘Through our close co-operation with Italo-NTV, the operator's customers can easily go from the train to electric vehicle to get to their final destination. The smart fortwo electric drive's offer a fun and perfect solution to move about in the city – and will help support the Rome Manifesto for electric vehicles.’