Funded by the State Energy Conservation Office American Recovery and Reinvestment Act Transportation Program, the technology will be used to make sure vehicles are utilised efficiently, reducing running costs and increasing the use of sustainable mobility.

It also allows vehicle usage, fuelling, billing and distribution to be logged electronically, and for maintenance to be scheduled remotely from headquarters.

Houston has the third largest municipal hybrid fleet in the United States, with 50% of its light-duty, non-specialist vehicles replaced with hybrids.

City of Houston Mayor Annise Parker said: ‘Although we've always been known as the oil capital of the world, we're gaining momentum on being the energy capital through programs like Houston Fleet Share and the Houston Drives Electric initiative.

‘By utilizing Zipcar's technology to make our fleet usage more efficient, we will be able to further reduce emissions and cut back on fleet fuel consumption, helping save money while also having a positive impact on our environment.’

Zipcar’s FastFleet technology has already been adopted in Washington D.C., Chicago and Boston, with D.C. officials claiming a $1m annual saving as a result.