"One hundred electric cars from the Renault-Nissan alliance... will be tested from September 2010 for a year by individuals, companies and local authority employees," they said in a statement.

The people testing the cars will be able to recharge them in their homes, at their workplace, in car parks and along roads, the companies said.

The cars used in the experiment will be identical to the ones that Renault-Nissan and EDF plan to put on the market from 2011.

The two French industry giants paired up last year to develop an "electric mobility operator" -- a full network providing charging spots and battery exchange stations for electric vehicles across France.