Car hire giant Avis is set to offer UK customers electric vehicles from 2011, following a partnership deal with the Renault-Nissan Alliance.

The New-Jersey based group argues the cars - which produce zero emissions during use – represent a “breakthrough solution”, providing sustainable mobility for all.

However, question marks remain over the sustainability of vehicles which still draw electricity produced in carbon intensive power plants.

Pascal Bazin, chief executive for Avis Europe, explained: “At Avis, we are committed to reducing our carbon footprint and are always looking for new ways to improve our environmental performance.

“We are delighted to sign this important partnership with Renault to offer electric vehicles as part of our green fleet, which is an increasingly central part of our customer offering.”

The deal follows a similar announcement from Hertz early last month, with the rival rental organisation planning to offer the Nissan LEAF in Japan, the US and Europe as early as next year.

Social Responsibility

Avis remains keen to emphasise its green credentials ahead of the launch, with customers already offered an extensive eco-offering.

Each car on the Avis fleet is typically only six months old (to ensure maximum fuel efficiency) while the average CO2 emissions for cars purchased in 2009 was just 144.6g CO2/Km.

All Avis customers also have access to environmental driving tips to help lower their emissions and can choose a vehicle from a wide ranging green fleet, including hundreds of vehicles which run on fuels other than petrol or diesel.