A smartphone displaying the Maven app, a GM car-sharing service is shown in Ann Arbor in April 2016.
(Photo: Paul Sancya, AP)
Airbnb for cars?
Bloomberg reports that General Motors is planning something similar through its Maven car-sharing platform.
The news service, citing unnamed sources, said GM will launch a pilot project this summer.
“GM vehicle owners will be able to put their cars on Maven’s platform for other drivers to rent and share the revenue with the automaker,” according to the Bloomberg report.
GM did not confirm the story, but a spokeswoman noted that the service operates in 17 markets and drivers have logged more than 253 million miles driven in less than 2 1/2 years.
“At Maven, we are always considering new, innovative ways to make sharing easier. We have no plans to announce at this time,” according to an email from Annalisa Esposito Bluhm, a spokeswoman for the Maven unit.
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Bloomberg said that “by launching a peer-to-peer service, Maven would get access to more vehicles without its parent having to carry more hard assets on its balance sheet.”
Maven, which rents vehicles to drivers, currently offers three types of service specific to certain cities, ranging from car-sharing for building residents to short-term rentals for freelance drivers to round-trip car sharing. Variations of the service are offered in cities across the country and in Canada, including Detroit, Ann Arbor, Los Angeles, New York, Toronto and Washington, D.C.
Earlier this month, GM announced it would be offering a fleet of 20 Chevrolet Bolt electric vehicles for use by freelance drivers in Austin, Texas.
The company markets the service to those — presumably millennials — not interested in the cost or commitment of vehicle ownership.
“Maven is a personal mobility app that provides hassle-free, on-demand vehicle access for everyday life. Members enjoy all the benefits of car ownership without the hassle, upkeep and cost. Vehicles are available by the hour, day, week or month. All reservations include gas and insurance (minus a deductible),” according to GM.
For a version of how GM might entice owners to provide their vehicles to the service, consider how Turo, a potential competitor, promotes what it offers. The company makes its case on its website, touting “the car that pays for itself” for those who choose to list their vehicles.
“Make a dent in your monthly car payments — on average, Turo hosts can cover their payments by renting out their cars just nine days per month,” according to the Turo website.
Brian Moody, executive editor of Autotrader, said he has used Turo in the past, renting a Chevy Tahoe during a to Los Angeles. He said the cost was less than what he would have paid for a vehicle through a traditional rental car company, and the service was good, although he noted that the vehicle was a couple of years old.
Moody does not believe it would be far-fetched for GM to roll out a program similar to Turo since the company already has an existing car-sharing service. Speculating on how such a service could work, Moody said the company could tell potential customers that if they buy a vehicle that they could make a certain amount back on their payments if they sign up.
“What might be something they’re thinking is, ‘this is a selling point for people who are shopping for our cars already,'” he said. “That likely would sell more cars in certain circumstances and certain areas of the country.”
Contact Eric D. Lawrence: elawrence@freepress.com. Follow him on Twitter: @_ericdlawrence.
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