GM's Maven offers ways to drive out of town — or make deliveries — without owning a car

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The gig economy — where it's common for someone to pick up a side job and extra cash by delivering Amazon packages — has given General Motors another way to test its car-sharing service and figure out how to reach millennials.

"In New York, you buy something from Amazon and expect it to be delivered the same day," said Julia Steyn, GM vice president for urban mobility programs and head of Maven. 

Steyn, who lives in New York and commutes for her work for Maven, was the featured speaker at this year's CFA Society Detroit auto show luncheon at the Detroit Athletic Club this week. 

Maven is the app-driven, on-demand mobility brand that focuses on car-sharing and ride-sharing, including GM's alliance with Lyft.

Maven, which was launched in Ann Arbor 2016, now operates in 15 markets: Detroit, Ann Arbor, Chicago, Washington, D.C., Baltimore, New York, Jersey City, San Francisco, San Diego, Los Angeles, Phoenix, Denver, Orlando, Boston and Kitchener-Waterloo (Canada). 

"We're focused on the urban core environment," Steyn said. 

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If you've not heard of Maven, it could be because the brand hasn't exactly been running ads during the Super Bowl.

Maven advertises only via social media, such as Instagram and Facebook, to reach millennials and participants in the gig economy.

"Frankly, my customers do not even turn on the TV," Steyn told the audience of financial analysts and investment professionals. 

Consumers might use the service if they live in an urban area and don't want to own a car. Maybe they'd like to drive a few hours to take a trip over the weekend.

Steyn said tenants who live in her building in New York City pay $800 a month to park a car. So many people would rather turn to car sharing, instead of taking on that extra expense just for parking. 

The cost of a reliable car, of course, continues to be out of reach for many younger consumers once you string together car payments, insurance, maintenance — and, yes, parking in urban areas. 

Maven's pitch: "The smart and seamless way to connect with the people, places and moments that matter to you." 

One of the company's videos proclaims: "Don't share the moment, be in the moment." 

Steyn noted that in Maven customers in Ann Arbor aren't just college students at the University of Michigan. In fact, she said, less than one-third of the customers in Ann Arbor are college students. Others are college professors, hospital employees and other professionals. 

And customers aren't just using cars to take long trips. In Chicago, she said, customers often turn to Maven to use a car for some purpose in the financial center during a weekday. 

"Every city is different and nuanced," she said. 

Prices start at $6 per hour for a Chevrolet Spark in Ann Arbor. Price varies by market and car. The Maven app shows pricing in real time. Cost includes gas, insurance and maintenance.

Cars offered in a given area are selected to meet the needs of that market, but trucks are not included. Maven's lineup of vehicles may include Chevrolet Bolt, Volt, Malibu and Tahoe, GMC Yukon, Cadillac Escalade and CT6.

Your smartphone is the key to reserving the car and entry into the car at one of the Maven stations.

"From remote start and keyless entry to real-time information and support, our cars connect seamlessly with your phone," according to Maven's web site at www.mavendrive.com. 

Yet the car-sharing story isn't just about finding transportation to make personal connections. Many consumers may opt to rent a GM vehicle to make extra cash by delivering for Grubhub or Amazon, or driving for Uber or Lyft.

Maybe your car isn't exactly reliable or even welcoming for passengers. Or maybe you don't have a car but still want to take on temporary work. 

Last spring, Maven launched Maven Gig in some markets to offer a weekly on-demand service geared toward people who are driving for money. Maven Gig is available in Detroit, San Diego, San Francisco, Los Angeles, Phoenix, Boston, Baltimore and Washington, D.C.  

Maven Gig rates vary per region and car, but consumers pay a flat weekly fee. The Chevrolet Cruze starts at $189 for a week. It's also the only service that offers an all-electric car, the Chevrolet Bolt.

What's known as Maven City can be reserved by the hour, week or a 28-day period.

What's called Maven Home provides a fleet of cars to residential communities. 

For GM, Maven also is about making inroads in collecting data and promoting electric vehicles, such as the Bolt. Final assembly for the Bolt takes place at GM's Orion Assembly Plant in Orion Township. 

Maven also enables GM to gather data on its Chevrolet’s Bolt EV.

Data from the car sharing service can help communities work through the challenges of building the infrastructure needed for electric vehicles. 

Maven is able to share data with cities on where to build public charging stations to meet demand. One of the challenges ahead is filling out wide parts of many communities where charging options are extremely limited or non-existent. 

Contact Susan Tompor: stompor@freepress.com or 313-222-8876. Follow Susan on Twitter @Tompor.