GM Unveils Car-Sharing Service 'Let's Drive NYC'

Uber has received a lot of pushback over its service because, in part, it takes work away from traditional taxi services. Those taxi industries are feeling the squeeze from more than just ride-sharing services, however. Latest to the competitor roster is General Motors, which announced today its new "Let's Drive NYC" car-sharing service. Let's Drive NYC will only be available to certain The Ritz Plaza residents, however.

In a statement today, GM said eligible residents of the 479-unit luxury apartment will be able to use a mobile app the auto maker has developed to reserve one of the Let's Drive NYC cars and parking access in a garage in Manhattan. Two Chevy Equinox SUVs and eight Chevy Trax SUVs are presently offered, but more cars will be added in the future.

It differs from Uber in obvious ways, though the comparisons are hard to avoid. Rather than being driven by a driver, those who reserve one of the cars will pay a certain amount to rent the car for up to 24 hours. This allows them access to a car without having to own one, and without having to order a taxi or other ride.

Residents will get three credits for three hours of rental access per month in exchange for some "periodic apartment lease payments". The cars can be used for longer than that at a rate of either "less than $10 an hour" (specific price wasn't specified) or for $75 for a full 24 hours. GM calls this a car-sharing program.

SOURCE: General Motors