RESIDENTS living in eco-town homes in Bicester can now hire electric vehicles.

The E Car Club has been launched in 393-home Elmsbrook by lead developer A2Dominion.

A BMWi3 and Renault Zoe, with a range of 70 to 90 miles, are now available at any time from £4.50 per hour including hire, power and insurance.

BMW North Oxford also announced details of free trial periods of up to two weeks for Elmsbrook residents to put the BMWi3 through its paces.

A2Dominion has set a target for 10 per cent of residents to switch to electric by 2018 and is installing home charging units free of charge to households that sign up within the first two years of moving in.

Louise Caves, A2Dominion strategic partnership manager, said following the launch on Thursday: "We are committed to shaping a range of alternative, more sustainable travel options for our residents at Elmsbrook."

Patrick Creswell, marketing manager for E-Car Club, said: "The mission is to improve mobility while reducing the environmental and financial cost of every journey decision made, so this is a great initiative for the Elmsbrook community."

The event also marked the launch of the Elmsbrook Brompton Bike Loan Scheme, with A2Dominion buying four of the folding bikes for residents to borrow for a week at a time.