General Motors is positioning itself for a subscription-based future with its Maven personal mobility and car-sharing service, and its next step may set its sights on the Turo service, which is an AirBnB for cars. The automaker will reportedly launch a pilot peer-to-peer car rental service this summer.
For those unfamiliar, Turo allows owners to sign up and rent their vehicles out when they're not using them. GM's unnamed service, which will likely be part of the Maven brand, would allow owners of Chevrolet, Buick, Cadillac, and GMC vehicles to rent them out in a similar fashion. According to details in a Bloomberg report published on Tuesday, owners will list their vehicles via the Maven app and share revenue with GM when the vehicles are rented.
The report cautioned the summer introduction will just be a pilot program, but GM seeks to grow the venture into a major revenue stream if it's successful.
Maven currently offers a handful of services. Users can rent a car from GM directly, and in most cases the rental includes maintenance, insurance, and, for the Chevrolet Bolt EV, charging. Maven also offers cars via "Maven Gig" for freelancers, and GM has partnered with Lyft for an "Express Drive" program that offers reliable vehicles for Lyft drivers for a weekly rate.
The peer-to-peer rental service would compliment Maven's current portfolio of services, but it would likely pull in more revenue since GM won't have to maintain the vehicles itself, Alexandre Marian, and automotive consultant for AlixPartners LLP, said.
Eventually, GM will likely introduce even grander services via Maven. The automaker has been working tirelessly with its Cruise Automation subsidiary to bring commercialized self-driving cars to market in 2019. Maven could even launch its own ride-sharing service to rival Uber and Lyft, potentially with GM's self-driving cars.