Hertz has said it will become the world leader of car sharing within two years.

The company has just launched a global car share club, which has local designated parking in London, Paris and New York.

The club cars include the MINI Cooper, Ford Fiesta and Ford Focus.

Prices are by the hour - £3.95 for a Fiesta – and include insurance, fuel, maintenance, cleaning, roadside assistance and congestion charges, following payment of an annual membership fee of £50. It then costs 25p per mile, although the first 30 miles are free.

The cars have keyless entry via a smart chip-enabled Connect Card.

Emissions of all of the cars are less than 140g/km CO2.

The self-service system provides members with 24/7 access to the club cars, which are located in designated parking bays.

Members can reserve the cars via the internet or phone and pay by credit or debit card.

In London, bays are already available in Bayswater, Marble Arch, Shepherd’s Bush, St John’s Wood, Victoria, Westminster, Kilburn and Maida Vale.

In car, a hands-free audio kit connects members to a care centre representative should they have questions, require assistance or need to extend their rental.

The in-car technology also enables Hertz representatives to ‘communicate’ with the vehicle to unlock and engage cars as well as locate vehicles.

Further locations and the availability of hundreds of cars are planned for London in 2009.

Boris Johnson, mayor of London said the car club is a “fantastic way for Londoners to cut their motoring costs and help cut carbon emissions in the capital”.

Antonia Roberts, co-director of Carplus, the UK national charity promoting car clubs, added: “It is an exciting time for car clubs in the UK who have experienced exponential growth in recent months. Over 60,000 members are now enjoying the benefits of car clubs and this figure is set to keep on rising.”