Zipcar car club has ordered 325 fully electric Volkswagen e-Golfs as part of its new Zipcar Flex Service for London.

This will allow members to 'drive and drop' cars in one-way trips around the capital. Booking is completed either online or through the Zipcar smartphone app.

The deal between the two companies follows one struck in 2016, which led thousands of Londoners to get behind the wheel of the petrol-electric Golf GTE or internal combustion-engined Polo.

Jonathan Hampson, general manager for Zipcar UK, said: “We have always wanted to use the cleanest possible vehicles, which is why we’re incredibly proud and excited to team up with Volkswagen for this zero emissions initiative.

"It marks another step towards our vision for a greener London where car sharers outnumber car owners, making our amazing city an even better place to live for all.”

Geraldine Ingham, head of marketing at Volkswagen UK, added: “We know that inner-city residents are looking for alternatives to car ownership and this development of the relationship between Volkswagen and Zipcar offers the best of both worlds: the benefits of access to a car and zero emission motoring across the UK’s capital.”

Volkswagen updated the e-Golf in 2017 and the model now has a range of 186 miles (NEDC). This translates to a realistic range of 124 miles when real-world driving style and other parameters are considered.