General Motors recently launched a car sharing service in Toronto, Ont., through its subsidiary Maven. The carmaker enters a crowded market with competitors like Daimler’s Car2go, ZipCar and Enterprise CarShare as it shifts its focus from more established U.S. operations to the Canadian playing field.
Canadian auto dealer caught up with Mark Latchford, General Manager for Maven Toronto, at the Canadian International AutoShow to discuss the launch of the pilot project, the company’s plans to shine among the crowd, and its take on cyber security.
Maven has been primarily operating in the U.S. in 15 locations, including New York, Chicago, San Francisco, Los Angeles, D.C., and Baltimore, where the service has been “very successful and very accepted by the communities,” says Latchford. The company then quietly launched the ride-sharing service in Kitchener and Waterloo in Ontario but did not fully publicize it.
“We haven’t really marketed this place yet. It was more of a test for the technology, services and software to make sure that it was going to work very well in Toronto,” said Latchford. “After a year we received our research, and being that Toronto is the fourth largest city in North America, and the largest city in Canada, and with the booming tech industry in Toronto, we think it’s the perfect location to make our international launch.”
Entering the ride-sharing ring with more established rivals doesn’t seem to phase Latchford either, who is confident Maven’s product will stand out from their competitors. “We offer a $0 registration lifetime membership, whereas other ones don’t.”
He adds that every vehicle in the company’s fleet is equipped with 4G LTE unlimited Wi-Fi, Apple CarPlay and Android Auto, Sirius satellite radio and more. “One of the kickers is, because General Motors has OnStar, we have it in every single one of our vehicles. If there is any issue with the vehicle, or any issue that the member comes across, they can hit that OnStar button and get automatically connected to a Maven OnStar agent.”
How the customer gets into the vehicle is another factor that separates Maven from its competitors, according to Latchford. The service functions entirely through an app to make the experience as hassle-free as possible.
“What happens is that when you reserve (a vehicle) and you come close to it by bluetooth activity in your phone, it’s going to allow you to get authorized access into our vehicle,” said Latchford. “Once you get close enough, you hit the unlock button and your phone actually becomes the key” — much like a key fob. As long as the phone is inside the vehicle, the customer can simply hit the start button and go.
However, using a mobile phone as a key and relying heavily on connected technologies can bring about its own issues, such as cyber security threats. When asked if customers should be worried about these situations, Latchford said no. “Being backed by General Motors, we take security very seriously. We are secure with our data and our security.”
Maven’s Toronto fleet currently has 40 vehicles with room for expansion. The focus will remain on Canada’s big city and in ensuring the project gets “off the ground” and is well established before even considering other urban potentials like Montreal or Vancouver.
