Rent a car by the hour: Maven comes to San Francisco

SAN FRANCISCO, Oct. 14 (UPI) -- Maven, General Motors' car-sharing service, will roll into San Francisco Friday, its ninth U.S. city since the start of the year.

GM made the announcement late Thursday.

Unlike Lyft, Uber and similar urban services, Maven offers customers new GM products to drive, starting at $8 per hour. The vehicles have high-tech integrations including Apple CarPlay, OnStar, SiriusXM radio and 4G connectivity, reasons the company expects to stand out from competitors in a tech-driven city such as San Francisco.

"Maven's blend of new cars with seamless technology provides a fully connected car sharing experience that helps bring our members closer to the experiences, places and people they love," Julia Steyn of Maven said of the San Francisco expansion.

Sixty GM vehicles will be available at six locations in downtown San Francisco, and Maven's expectation is that customers not interested in flagging down taxis, hiring an Uber driver or buying a car will find the service appealing. The company also has a presence in Ann Arbor, Baltimore, Boston, Chicago, Detroit, Los Angeles, Washington and New York.