Less than three weeks after General Motors (GM) announced a $500 million investment in ride-for-hire service Lyft, GM made another big move towards “the future of mobility.” This week, GM launched Maven: an on-demand car-sharing service and “personal mobility” brand.
Less than three weeks after General Motors (GM) announced a $500 million investment in ride-for-hire service Lyft, GM made another big move towards “the future of mobility.” This week, GM launched Maven: an on-demand car-sharing service and “personal mobility” brand.
Customers will use the Maven app on their smartphone to search for and reserve a vehicle by location or car type. The app features keyless integration with the vehicles – so customers can unlock the vehicles through the app alone – as well as remote functions such as starting, heating, cooling, and more. GM claims that “each vehicle will provide an ownership-like experience with the convenience of car-sharing.” Maven pricing will include insurance and fuel.
“GM is at the forefront of redefining the future of personal mobility,” said GM President Dan Ammann. “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 the service expands throughout the year, more vehicles will become available and additional city-based programs will launch. GM promised that it will expand its existing residential program in New York City (previously called Let’s Drive NYC), and within the first quarter of 2016, launch car-sharing services for Chicago residents.
“Maven provides on-demand access, choice and ease of use. The right vehicle and right mobility service for the right trip at the right time,” said Julia Steyn, GM vice president, Urban Mobility Programs. “With more than 25 million customers around the world projected to use some form of shared mobility by 2020, Maven is a key element of our strategy to changing ownership models in the automotive industry.”
The move immediately follows Ford Motor Company’s launch of FordPass, a platform that will allow consumers access to concierge services, smart parking, car-sharing, and more.
Published Jan 21, 2016 9am EST / 6am PST / 2pm GMT / 3pm CET