Based at PwC's Westminster and Southwark locations in London, the pure-electric cars will operate with car membership club 'Connect by Hertz' technology, and be charged on-site at PwC offices, as well as through the Hertz and Source London - the Mayor of London's electric vehicle charging network.
Bridget Jackson, head of corporate sustainability, PwC, said: "We want to work with new technologies, to test how they fit in with our mix of needs and find out what the practical issues of using electric vehicles more widely would be. It is a pioneering initiative for PwC and is part of our commitment to lower our overall transport emissions."
Connect by Hertz staff will be able to use the company's 16 charging stations, based on Chargemaster technology, at London City Airport, Heathrow Airport, Russell Square, Marble Arch, Old Kent Road and Uxbridge. Connect by Hertz will also work closely with its corporate and university customers to launch dedicated charging stations on location. London is a prime location for electric vehicles and already has the highest number registered anywhere in the UK.
This is soon set to rise, with the launch this spring of Source London. With 1,300 publicly accessible points to be installed across the city by 2013, it will mean London will have more charge points than gas (petrol) stations, putting London on the road to become the electric vehicle capital of Europe.
Boris Johnson, Mayor of London, said: "Electric vehicles are perfect for city driving and great for London's environment, so I am pleased that Hertz and Connect by Hertz are helping promote their use to give more people the opportunity to try one out. These new vehicles will also soon be able to take advantage of our Source London's network, the first ever city-wide electric driving scheme, launching this spring."
The £4 hourly rate for Connect by Hertz car club members includes insurance, maintenance, cleaning, and roadside assistance. The proposed annual membership rate of £50 is free for a limited period. The vehicle has keyless entry via a smart chip-enabled Connect Card and is also kitted out with iPod/MP3 player connectivity. While in the vehicle, members can request assistance from the Member Care Centre via the in-car communications system.
