General Motors is looking to lure people who do not own vehicles with the launch of its car-sharing service dubbed Maven.
With the Maven brand, GM is eyeing people who look to rent cars and with its foray into this sector, the company joins the ranks of other automakers who are aggressively looking to devise new ways to attract consumers.
The launch of maven comes barely a week after GM's purchase of Sidecar, the defunct ride-sharing service. GM bought Sidecar for an undisclosed amount. At the time it was rumored, GM was possibly looking to launch its own car-sharing service Maven, which was registered in November 2015.
GM also invested $500 million in another ride-sharing service - Lyft - a couple of weeks ago. With the launch of Maven, it seems GM is looking to foray deeper into the ride-sharing space and creating a viable commercial business.
"GM is at the forefront of redefining the future of personal mobility. 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," said GM President Dan Ammann.
Unlike competing car-sharing services such as Zipcar and Car2Go, Maven would not be charging a membership fee. The service will enable customers to rent cars starting for as little as $6 an hour.
Shelling out $6 per hour will enable one to rent the Chevy Spark or Chevy Volt. The bigger Chevy Tahoe or medium-sized Chevy Malibu will cost $12 or $8 per hour, respectively.
To reserve a car, customers merely need to use the compatible app from their smartphone to seek out. They can make reservations on the basis of the car type or location and then pick-up the vehicle and drive it away from the designated spot.
The app will also be able to unlock the car's door, remotely start it, heat it or cool the car. The cars will also come equipped with Android Auto and Apple's CarPlay. The vehicles will also boast OnStar - GM's in-car communication system, 4G LTE wireless and SiriusXM radio.
The Maven car-sharing service will initially kick off at Ann Arbor, Michigan. Customers will have 21 cars to choose from at the outset. GM also plans to extend Maven's services to other cities in the U.S. In the first quarter 2016, Maven's car-sharing service will also be launched in Chicago.
