#BeThere With MAVEN Car Sharing! General Motors recently launched MAVEN, a fantastic car sharing service and it is available in Washington, D.C. A car-sharing service opens up a key opportunity for big automakers to compete in the crowded mobility space. It provides new revenue streams in cities while also exposing millennials to cars they may be interested in buying later in life. GM launched Maven with millennials in mind. 80% of MAVEN users are between the ages of 18 and 34. The average user is 30-years-old.
Maven is currently available in 17 cities in North America, including Washington D.C., New York, Los Angeles, Atlanta and San Francisco. Users can book a car that’s located in a nearby parking garage through the Maven app.
Prices vary based on the type of vehicle. A DC listing for a 2016 Chevrolet Cruze costs $14 per hour or $120 per day while a listing for a 2017 Cadillac XT5 goes for $20 per hour or $210 per day.
GM, like other major automakers, is preparing for an eventual decline in car ownership. That trend has been fueled by millennials’ choice to live in cities where it’s expensive to own a car.
As a family living close to the city, we only have one car. We find it to be less expensive to use a car service like MAVEN when we need to have two cars for a short period of time.
I was recently invited on a press trip to Richmond, Virginia and I was excited to partner with MAVEN for the trip. The car sharing service was so easy to use, it made traveling feel like a breeze! The car was practically brand new, had an amazing Infotainment system, a full tank of gas and was easy to find and fun to drive.
Here’s how it works in 9 easy steps:
- Download the MAVEN app on your smartphone. Maven is a free app you can download on iOS or Android devices.
If you open the app with Location Services turned on, Maven will automatically show you where you are in relation to its garages. In Washington D.C., there are 24 parking garages scattered throughout D.C. - The list will show you the garages that are closest to you on the app so you can choose a car based on proximity. Maven offers a lot of different vehicles from the GM line-up ranging from compact cars, sedans and even SUVs. Select the car that you want.
- Once you select a car, it will prompt you to enter what days you want to reserve it for before showing the final cost. Even if you initially searched for a car for a specific weekend, the app will automatically enter that you want to book the car “today.” So be careful when making your reservation to ensure you book the car for the correct amount of time and for the correct dates. I accidentally booked it for only 2 days, but the app notifies you shortly before the end time is near and gives you an opportunity to extend your rental.
- Some garages have attendants and other garages or parking lots don’t. The place where I picked up my car didn’t have one. But, the ease of using the app to connect to the car’s bluetooth and unlock the car with my phone was simple and fun!
- Your phone is the key. Get in the car and drive.
- Connect to everything you need. Plug in with Apple CarPlay® and Android Auto™. Access OnStar® Advisors 24/7. Connect on the go with 4G LTE WiFi™.
- Return Your Car.
- Park your car at the same station you picked it up from then hit “End Trip” in the app to complete your trip.
Download the MAVEN app today for seamless car sharing so you can #BeThere.
For more information, visit www.maven.com
{Thank-you to MAVEN for partnering with me on this post.}
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