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“DETROIT and SAN FRANCISCO” reads the byline of the press release, and my first thought was: “you can get used to seeing a lot more of that.” Detroit, that is to say, American car manufacturers, see one way forward, and a way to greater profits: by adding more tech to their products.
And Silicon Valley tech geeks see yet another path to greater market penetration, that is, a path to greater profits, by teaming up with car manufacturers.
In this case, the two players are Maven and Uber.
Digital Platforms
Maven is General Motors? personal mobility brand, or, as GM puts it: “Maven is car sharing, refined.” It’s a connected fleet of the newest GM vehicles linked via the latest technology. It allows users to personalize the entire Maven experience. Customers can bring their digital lives into the vehicles through Apple CarPlay and Android Auto, including contacts, favorites, and maps. GM nor Uber make no mention of who owns this data once an user runs their digital life through a Maven/Uber car, but one would have to think this is a gold mine of deep demographic data that both companies can use for their own ends, and, of course, sell off to the highest bidder.
GM says pricing is simple and transparent for people that end up leasing a Maven/Uber car. They also extol the idea that using the “on demand car sharing program for ridesharing drivers offers flexible weekly terms wit...