Because it’s now fashionable for automakers to act like startups?in which they’re not merely manufacturing cars but instead are “building brand experiences,” “creating transportation solutions,” or, in this case, “redefining the future of personal mobility”?General Motors has just launched its own version of Zipcar, and it’s called Maven.
Maven is essentially a one-make rental shop owned and operated by GM, designed to attract younger, city-dwelling, car-free people into its cars. GM wants to earn some money, too, more than the failed Sidecar, which GM purchased in pieces a few days earlier. Other than being a division of GM, there’s nothing unique about Maven. A location-sensing smartphone app reserves nearby cars for between one and 24 hours, the OnStar service unlocks them, and you drive off for up to 180 miles. Fuel is included, and you’ve got to return the car to the exact same space at the pre-appointed time. Rates vary from $6 per hour (for a Chevrolet Spark or Volt) up to $12 for a Tahoe. A Malibu, the middle choice, is $8. Daily rates range from $42 to $84, and all cars come with built-in 4G LTE wireless connections because, well, of course they do.
So far, all 21 Maven vehicles are parked on the University of Michigan campus in Ann Arbor. By the end of March, GM says it will expand Maven to Chicago and rework its New York City car-sharing pilot, Let’s Drive NYC, to bring it under the Maven u...