It is deals such as this that will help the electric car movement accelerate further, not least because at some point drivers will perhaps see it as a moral requirement rather than an apparent luxury for those who can afford it.
Pushing these vehicles into the mainstream of rental services is a significant step along a road that started some years ago but is slowly gathering an encouraging momentum.
Didi Chuxing, the dominant ride-hailing service operator in China, has formed an alliance with 12 carmakers to build an electric vehicle sharing network as it looks to move further into the country’s booming sharing economy.
The network, which will also involve the Renault-Nissan-Mitsubishi alliance and Chinese carmakers Geely Auto and BAIC, will provide vehicles for short-term rental, some of which will be from third-party providers and some of which will be owned by Didi.
The nascent car-sharing business has attracted a growing number of participants, and Didi will go into competition with the likes of SAIC Motor, whose Shanghai-based electric car rental subsidiary EvCard operates in 60 cities.