The service will launch with ten Nissan LEAFs, available from locations around the city and surrounding areas including university campuses, railway stations and major employers’ car parks. Hertz on Demand membership is free, and bookings are made online, with prices for electric vehicles set to start at £5 per hour including the company’s full package of customer support.

As part of the agreement, the service will be supported by Chargemaster’s POLAR charging network, which has 32 public access charging points in the city and a further 28 planned. The network is supported by the Oxford Electric Vehicle Partnership (OEVP) and Oxford Brookes University.

Michel Taride, president of Hertz International and Executive Vice President of Hertz Corporation said: ‘We look forward to launching the Hertz On Demand electric vehicle car club in Oxford, which will make use of the high density charging network installed by Chargemaster plc along with specially dedicated parking bays provided by the city. Electric vehicles are fun and exciting to drive, and the growing EV eco-system in Oxford should help encourage their use.’

Oxford councillor John Tanner said:’This fantastic investment in Oxford's low-carbon future brings electric cars within reach for thousands of Oxford people. The Chargemaster Plc and Hertz link-up is excellent news for jobs and for the environment. The POLAR network is a vote of confidence in Oxford's future prosperity.’