GM’s Maven Car-Sharing Service Aims To Redefine Mobility
DETROIT – General Motors on Thursday announced the launch of Maven, a “personal mobility” brand that consolidates its recent investment in assets of the Sidecar and Lyft ride-sharing services.
Maven kicks off with a car-sharing program in Ann Arbor, Michigan, where residents will be able to share GM vehicles at 21 parking spots around the city, and will then be rolled out to other major U.S. metropolitan areas later this year.
To use the service, customers search for and reserve cars on a smartphone app, which also enables them to unlock the vehicle and control such functions as starting, heating and cooling. They can also integrate their phone with the car’s onboard systems to make use of Apple CarPlay, Android Auto, SiriusXM radio and GM’s own OnStar system.
GM notes that Maven pricing – as little as $6 per hour for a Chevrolet Volt or Spark, $8 per hour for a Chevrolet Malibu or $12 per hour for a Chevrolet Tahoe SUV – includes insurance and fuel.
In addition to urban transportation services, Maven will bring together an expanded residential car-sharing program, which started in New York City and will launch in Chicago in the first quarter of this year, as well as on-campus and peer-to-peer car sharing.
“GM is at the forefront of redefining the future of personal mobility,” said GM president Dan Ammann in a statement. “With the launch of our car-sharing service through Maven, the strategic alliance with ride-sharing company Lyft, and building on our decades of leadership in vehicle connectivity through OnStar, we are uniquely positioned to provide the high level of personalized mobility services our customers expect today and in the future.”
As recently reported by Edmunds, an increasing number of people of all ages are foregoing driver’s licenses and relying instead on other means of transportation, including bicycles, public transportation and car- and ride-sharing services.
As a result of this and other changing transportation trends, automakers have begun taking steps to meet the challenge of mobility in the future.
Last year, as noted by Edmunds, Ford unveiled its Smart Mobility transportation program, which includes car-sharing and a new electric bike. And Honda, Mercedes-Benz, Nissan, Toyota and Volvo, among others, have also made forays into car-sharing and other mobility innovations.
Earlier this year, GM announced that it had invested $500 million in ride-sharing service Lyft and just days ago purchased assets of business-to-business delivery and consumer ride-sharing service Sidecar.
Now the automaker further stakes its claim on the future of personal mobility by creating Maven, administered by a global team of 40 employees culled from the connected-car industry, as well as car-sharing professionals from Google, Zipcar and Sidecar.
Edmunds says: GM and other automakers are taking steps to ensure their future success by providing consumers with a variety of transportation options.
