Car club Zipcar has announced a pilot partnership with Vauxhall, which will see the Ampera join its fleet of self-service, pay-as-you-go vehicles for the next six months.

Zipcar members from today will be able to reserve the Ampera online or using their smart phones, just as they would any other of the1,700 cars across London.

Mark Walker, general manager of Zipcar UK, said: "To make this pilot possible - specifically the provision of dedicated charging points - we will be partnering with five London Boroughs: Camden, Croydon, Islington, Wandsworth and Westminster.

"For a number of years, we have worked closely with these boroughs to develop the uptake of car sharing in London and their continued commitment to advancing the concept of car sharing is crucial for making London an even better place to live and work."

Stewart Gibbs, Vauxhall's new business fleet sales manager, added: "It's a vehicle designed to lower emissions and boost fuel economy, and partnering with an innovative company like Zipcar who is committed to helping the environment, is a partnership we're delighted to be involved with.''