General Motors Unveils Maven Plan

Peer-to-peer (P2P) computer networking, when two or more computers share the same resources, is not a new concept in tech. 

However, now the idea has gravitated to the car business through General Motor’s Maven car-sharing unit. The unit allows car owners to rent their vehicles when not using them, and soon people will have the capability of placing their cars on Maven’s platform. The revenue generated will be shared with GM. 

Another unit of maven is Maven Gig that lends cars to Uber and Lyft drivers, among others. Two start-up companies, Turo and Getaround, do the same thing but will be dwarfed by GM once the latter gets fully engaged in the business. But venture capital and other automakers see enough promise in the concept to finance the smaller companies with large equity stakes. 

Tesla, one of the behemoths of the new age car business, is also studying the future of peer-to-peer car sharing. Competitors should be aware that there is no easy lay-up available to any company entering the business even though the idea seems ripe with promise.