GM Debuts Maven Car-Share Service

General Motors Co. is launching a new car-sharing service today called Maven that promises customers highly personalized, on-demand access to cars for use by the hour or day.

Maven debuts in Ann Arbor, Mich., with a fleet of 21 vehicles loaded with OnStar telematics, 4G wi-fi connectivity, SiriusXM satellite radio and Apple CarPlay smartphone connectivity. A smartphone app enables customers to reserve a car, start it remotely and unlock its doors.

Initial service in Ann Arbor will cater primarily to students at the University of Michigan. The local fleet includes Chevrolet Volt hybrids and Spark minicars at $6 per hour, midsize Chevy Malibu sedans at $8 per hour and Chevy Tahoe SUVs at $12 per hour.

By the end of March GM plans to roll out Maven for some 5,000 customers in Chicago and New York City. The company also is grouping its existing peer-to-peer car-sharing programs in Germany and on GM campuses in China, Germany and the U.S. under the Maven banner.

GM says the service is being run by a team of some 40 full-time employees, including connected-car experts and representatives from Google, Sidecar and Zipcar.