London’s first electric car club has been launched in Tower Hamlets, allowing drivers to rent vehicles on a “pay-per-use” basis.

The E-Car Club is the first of its kind in the capital, using electricity to power cars which do not emit fumes – unlike the cars used in other rental schemes offered in London.

The East End is being used as a testing ground for the club - with just four electric cars currently zipping around its roads – but a national roll out is expected to follow.

Poplar and Limehouse MP Jim Fitzpatrick said: “Access to electric cars at affordable rates will be a fantastic addition to the transport infrastructure of the area.

“We need to find ways for people to get around without further contributing to the already high levels of pollution on the A13 and this is a great option.”

Members of the E-Car Club will pay a £50 joining fee for 24-hour access to the vehicles, with rental prices starting at £5.50 per hour or £45 per day.

The two Renault Zoe cars and two Renault Fluences are aimed at providing residents and businesses with low cost, environmentally friendly transport means.

Housing association Poplar HARCA has already backed the scheme to help drive regeneration in the borough. It has also won the support of transport minister Baroness Susan Kramer.

The launch in London follows two successful pilot projects in Milton Keynes and Luton last year.

E-Car Club’s co-founder Christopher Morris said: “The mission is a simple, if ambitious, one. We want to improve mobility on a local level whilst simultaneously reducing both the cost and environmental impact of each journey taken.”