The initial fleet will include vehicles from leading European manufacturers such as Opel (Corsa, Vivaro), BMW (1 Series) and Peugeot (208, 308 and 308 hybrid).

The expansion to Madrid marks the 30th major city opening for Zipcar and follows the recent launch of the service in Paris, where operations began last month. The car sharing network also includes an established presence in the United Kingdom, France and Austria in Europe.

Avancar has operated a successful car sharing network in Barcelona since 2005, prior to being acquired by Zipcar in 2011. Zipcar added that the expansion to Madrid will provide members with a flexible and cost-effective alternative transportation solution in Europe's seventh largest city.

Speaking at the launch, Zipcar's European president, Massimo Marsili, said: ‘Today represents another important milestone for Zipcar by providing an alternative mobility solution to our Avancar members in Barcelona and Madrid. Our service is environmentally friendly, complementary to public transportation and ideal for a new generation of smart consumers who are looking for goods and services that are available on demand. We are excited to be launching our first wave of locations across the city today and aspire to a future where Madrid residents are never more than a 10 minute walk away from an Avancar.’

Operating with a global fleet of over 10,000 vehicles in six countries, Zipcar is leading the way to help transform urban living by providing a convenient, sustainable and economical alternative to car ownership. In hundreds of towns, cities, airports and universities across the globe, Zipcar is providing members with a simple and streamlined user experience to reserve vehicles by the hour or by the day, in locations close to where they live, work and travel.