American car rental giant Hertz has confirmed it will offer consumers in the New York area access to the first electric cars later this month.

The vehicles – which will include the smart Electric Drive and Nissan LEAF – will be available from December 15th, with Washington DC and San Francisco also in line to receive the vehicles.

The service will be offered by the Connect by Hertz car sharing operation.

“Hertz is the first to provide consumers with electric vehicle access on a global scale,” said Hertz chairman Mark Frissora.

“By introducing electric vehicles in New York, Washington and San Francisco, we are the first to make tomorrow’s driving experience available to consumers today and we look forward to continue building out our EV platform, making electric mobility a reality for consumers worldwide.”

The Nissan Leaf – here demonstrated by Toshiyuki Shiga, chief operating officer of Nissan – will be among the launch vehicles

Prices to rent a Smart ForTwo minicar are expected to start at $6 per hour, with the Nissan Leaf and Mitsubishi i-MiEV starting at $7 an hour.

Hertz is expected to add hundreds of vehicles to its fleet over the coming months.

“Electric vehicles and car sharing help meet two fundamental PlaNYC goals, making New York a cleaner and less congested city,” added David Bragdon, director of the Office of Long-Term Planning and Sustainability for New York City.

“Through Hertz Connect New Yorkers will have the opportunity to be among the first to try an electric vehicle, and more choices of how to get around if they do not own a car of their own.”

Interested parties should register at Connect by Hertz.