Under the agreement, which follows the letter of intent signed last year, Renault will gradually take over assembly of the Bluecar, formerly built solely in Italy. The vehicles will be assembled at the Renault plant in Dieppe (Normandy, France) from the second half of 2015.

The firms have also announced a feasibility survey on design, development and production by Renault of a new urban electric vehicle with a 20kWh lithium metal polymer (LMP) battery.

The more compact three-seater would replace the existing four-seat Bluecar and would be able to support the expansion of car-sharing initiatives. This vehicle could also be sold to consumers, companies and municipalities.

Meanwhile Renault and Bolloré have also signed an agreement to found a joint-venture to sell complete electric car-sharing solutions in France and Europe. The Renault group will hold a 30% interest in the JV, with Bolloré holding 70%.

Under the deal, from the second half of 2014, customers using car-sharing networks in Lyon (Bluely) and Bordeaux (Bluecub) will be able to choose Renault’s Twizy in addition to the Bluecar already available.

The firms added that Renault vehicles would be gradually integrated with the car-sharing fleet to reach a proportion of 30% as quickly as possible.