GM Bundles, Expands Ride-sharing Efforts Under New Maven Brand

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General Motors is consolidating and expanding its car-sharing programs under a new brand, Maven, in its latest push to adapt to new business models that could threaten to undercut the way automakers have made money for decades. As part of the effort, the Detroit automaker launched a city-based car-sharing service that allows residents to request the use of Chevrolet vehicles on the new Maven app for as little as $6 per hour, a la Zipcar. The program will begin with vehicles available at 21 parking spots in Ann Arbor, MI.

Maven also incorporates and expands each of GM’s car-sharing services. Those include its residential car-sharing program in New York City, which allows residents of a Times Square apartment building to rent cars by the hour, that will be expanded to a residential location in Chicago. It also includes its peer-to-peer sharing program in Germany, which allows Frankfurt and Berlin residents to rent out their vehicles by the hour. This is the latest move by GM to confront growing competition from car-sharing services such as Zipcar and ride-sharing services such as Uber, which could fundamentally alter automakers’ traditional business models, analysts say.

GM followed up January’s $500 million investment in Uber rival Lyft by acquiring the assets of another ride-sharing company, Sidecar Technologies, which disclosed it was shutting down in December. The company also unveiled the 2017 Chevrolet Bolt electric car, which comes with several features designed with ride-sharing in mind, at the Consumer Electronics Show.


 

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