The service is already run in seven locations (Berlin, Munich, Dusseldorf, Cologne, Hamburg, Vienna and San Francisco) and will now launch across three London boroughs of Islington, Hackney and Haringey from today (5 December) with other boroughs set to be added in 2015.

The scheme will initially provide a fleet of 210 BMW 1 Series and MINIs, which will be increased up to 300 in 2015. From spring 2015 the fleet will also be London’s first electric car fleet with the arrival of 30 BMW i3s.

Drivers will need to make a one-time registration fee of £29 and can then use the DriveNow App (available on iOS and Android devices) to locate and open their nearest car, or they simply use their customer card to unlock and activate a car they’ve seen on the street. Cars have no fixed bay to return to, and can be dropped for free anywhere across the boroughs, opening up one-way trips.

Charges are 39p a minute with an hourly cap of £20 to drive a DriveNow car, or from 32p with DriveNow savings packages.

Peter Schwarzenbauer, member of the Board of Management of BMW AG, and responsible for mobility services, said: ‘DriveNow is already an international success, with more than 360,000 regular customers in Europe and America and we are delighted now to launch it in London, Europe’s largest city. DriveNow gives Londoners instant access to highly desirable cars, perfect for the city, in an innovative and entirely flexible way. This program is part of BMW Group’s strategic response to the growth in urban living and shared ownership. Our aim is to expand it into about 15 more cities in Europe and about 10 in North America in the future.’

The move comes some six months after Daimler and Europcar joint venture car2go announced it is withdrawing its car sharing scheme from the UK.

Alexander Sixt, managing director at Sixt, said: ‘We believe location and flexible car sharing services are the future for busy global capitals. Over half a DriveNow journeys are enjoyed every month around the world which speaks volumes for the potential of our pioneering service in London.’