Meet Maven
General Motors brought its relatively new Maven car-rental service to Manhattan this May.
Maven, which runs through a smartphone application, provides users with simple car-rental options. Maven lets drivers 18 and older rent vehicles, rejecting the 25-year age minimum that some car rental companies enforce.
The app, which is currently available in a handful of North American cities, is gaining popularity because of its refreshingly straight-forward approach to car rentals.
The rental service breaks its process into four basic steps — Download the app, reserve and pick up your rental car, take your trip and then return the car.
Maven gives users a map of all of the nearby cars available, allowing them to easily book the perfect car for their needs. Maven boasts a variety of options, from compact cars to SUVs, with rates starting at $8 an hour plus tax.
Maven is all about convenience, so users don’t have to worry about picking up the keys. All of Maven’s rental cars are programed to unlock through the smartphone app. Users can also choose to book their rental cars at an hourly or a daily rate.
Unlike Zipcar, Maven doesn’t have an annual membership fee. Maven provides a free lifetime membership, covering all costs — gas, insurance, etc. — with the hourly fee.
When did GM begin investing in ride sharing?
In 2016 General Motors invested $500 million in Lyft, the second largest ride-sharing company in the U.S., after Uber.
Last year GM also bought the remains of Sidecar, a ride-sharing service that shut down in late 2015. GM reportedly paid less than $39 million for Sidecar’s remaining employees, technology and patents.
Maven’s launch soon followed these ride-share purchases. GM unveiled a New York City based pilot program called Let’s Drive NYC in October of 2015. Maven officially launched in Ann Arbor, Michigan in January 2016.
Takeaway
General Motors isn’t stopping with Maven. The company hopes to release thousands of self-driving electric cars in early 2018 through Lyft.
From Maven to Lyft, GM is embracing the ever-growing field of ride-sharing, and possibly looking to change the industry forever.
Have something to add to this story? Comment below or join the discussion on Facebook.
Header image: Getty Images