General Motors has a new way for drivers of its vehicles to earn some money on the side – by renting out their under utilized rides thanks to the OnStar service which basically enables potential renters to unlock the doors with nothing other than their smartphones. General Motors mentioned that they are working in tandem with RelayRides, an online car-sharing marketplace which was first introduced in Boston sometime in June a couple of years ago. GM’s venture-capital arm threw in some money into the company as an investment at the end of last year as a show of faith in the business model.
Just to recap, OnStar is an in-vehicle service that is most famous for hokoing up drivers to live operators who are then able to offer directions or even summon emergency help in the event of an accident. Developers of RelayRides were given access to several OnStar services, where among them include features which are able to locate the vehicle and unlock the doors remotely. Those who are renting will be able to do so using their smartphone, or simply replying to text messages. Chevrolet, GMC, Buick and Cadillac cars and trucks owners are said to be able to pocket up to “hundreds of dollars per month” through RelayRides – not half bad, no?