General Motors in mobility deal with Uber

General Motors has announced that Maven, the auto manufacturer’s personal mobility brand, is to team up with ridesharing service Uber Technologies to provide people who want to drive and earn money on the Uber platform the option to lease qualified vehicles by the week or longer at discounted rates with no mileage limits.

The 90-day pilot will launch in San Francisco as part of Uber’s vehicle solutions program, which provides driver-partners flexible options to access vehicles they can drive on the Uber platform.

“Today we announced an additional step for Maven to engage with professional partners across the car-sharing and ridesharing industry,” said Julia Steyn, GM vice president of urban mobility. “Only 10 months after launching Maven, we have implemented viable business-to-business platforms that GM can leverage to manage residual values for ex-lease and fleet vehicles.”

As part of the pilot, people who have signed up to drive with Uber will be able to find a qualifying vehicle at a conveniently located pickup location in San Francisco. Vehicles offered in the pilot will include the Chevrolet Cruze, Malibu and Trax. Insurance coverage is included in the cost of every lease for a weekly price of $179 plus taxes and fees. There are no additional fees if a driver utilizes the vehicle for personal use. The comprehensive Chevrolet dealer network will provide support for servicing needs.

“This is the latest in our efforts to provide driver partners with greater flexibility and more options to access vehicles in a way that works for them. This partnership with Maven combines our vast ridesharing network with GM’s extensive fleet vehicles and gives people without access to a car the ability to easily make money driving on the Uber platform,” said Rachel Holt, Uber regional general manager, US and Canada.

Los Angeles a natural fit

GM’s Maven offering is based on a fleet of vehicles with the latest technology to allow users to personalize the entire experience. Pricing is simple and transparent, and includes insurance and fuel. A gas card is provided, and users are asked to return the vehicle with at least one quarter-tank of fuel to avoid an additional charge.

In nine months, Maven has grown to nine markets: Ann Arbor, Michigan, Baltimore, Boston, Chicago, Detroit, Los Angeles, New York City, San Francisco, and Washington, D.C. GM has just announced it is expanding the service into western markets with the announcement of Maven City car sharing in Los Angeles, in a bid to support moves to make living car-free in the city a viable option.

“Los Angeles is a natural fit for Maven because of the city’s incredible appetite for cars,” said Julia Steyn, GM vice president of urban mobility and Maven. “We are excited to offer an elevated car sharing experience with seamless connectivity in a fleet of luxury sedans, electric vehicles, and SUVs.”

Registered customers use the Maven app to reserve one of 60 initial vehicles at more than 24 sites throughout the city. Residents who want to live car-free or car-lite have an affordable option to rent vehicles by the hour or by the day. Pricing options start at $8 an hour, and fuel and insurance costs are included. There is no monthly or application fee for Maven City members.

The fleet will offer many options for Los Angeles’ diverse residents, including Chevrolet Cruze, Malibu, Tahoe and Volt, GMC Acadia and Yukon, and luxury Cadillacs such as the ATS, CTS, CT6, XT5 and Escalade.

Maven City stations will initially be located in downtown Los Angeles, Little Tokyo and South Park. There will also be locations near the University of Southern California including four cars at University Gateway Apartments.

Maven is using GM campus car sharing locations as beta labs for testing future shared mobility services. A peer-to-peer car sharing pilot has already been launched in Michigan along with a campus car sharing service at GM’s headquarters in Brazil.

GM says more than 11,000 Maven members and Lyft drivers using Express Drive have so far logged more than 23 million miles through more than 12,000 reservations.