GM unites car-sharing services under new brand 'Maven'

The company on Thursday announced that it's formed a brand called "Maven" that will run its car-sharing ventures, including a new one that will begin competing with ZipCar next month in Ann Arbor, Michigan, and spread to other metro areas later this year.

GM executives said they expect their main business model of selling cars to people will continue to be large, but they also see big changes coming with ride- and car-sharing.

The unveiling of Maven comes on the heels of two new mobility deals announced by GM this year: a $500 million investment in ride-hailing company Lyft and the purchasing of the remnants of defunct ride-hailing company Sidecar.

Maven already has 21 parking spaces and new GM vehicles assigned to the area around the University of Michigan campus in Ann Arbor, including spots in dormitory lots.

The company doesn't expect a huge boost in revenue initially, but with 5 million to 6 million people worldwide already sharing vehicles, "we see it as a real commercial opportunity," Ammann said.