UAE-based Ekar has partnered with Masdar to offer Tesla cars for rent by the minute in Abu Dhabi.

The initial operation will see five Tesla models S and X offered for hire from Masdar City in Abu Dhabi.

The vehicles can be collected from the Masdar City charging station before being returned to the nearest station for the next customer.

Ekar allows users to book cars via its mobile app and website, offering a “pay-by-the-use” pricing scheme that is a cost-effective alternative to daily and monthly renting.

UAE residents must have a UAE driving licence that's at least six months old to access Ekar, while UAE visitors are only required to submit a copy of their passport, visa page and foreign driver’s licence.

“The launch of this new service expands upon our existing portfolio of sustainable mobility solutions, which includes the Personal Rapid Transit (PRT) system and the NAVYA Autonom Shuttle,” said Yousef Baselaib, Executive Director of Sustainable Real Estate at Masdar.

The announcement follows Masdar’s £35 million (AED 166.9m) investment into the Charging Infrastructure Investment Fund, which aims to expand the number of rapid charging points publicly available to electric vehicle owners in the United Kingdom.

At present, there are 50 charging stations in Abu Dhabi and 100 in Dubai, a figure which is set to grow rapidly in the coming years, according to Vilhelm Hedberg, CEO of Ekar Middle East.

“Our vision at Ekar is to have 5 per cent of our fleet electric by 2020, to be fully electric by 2025, and fully autonomous by 2030," Hedberg said.

"In order to achieve this goal it is crucial to align with innovators such as Masdar, a global clean energy pioneer and a company that is actively demonstrating how the business community can deliver on the sustainability agenda.”