CARY, N.C. -

General Motors is investing $500 million in Lyft as part of a new alliance announced Monday between the automaker and rideshare company that will include the development of an autonomous on-demand network, among other key highlights.

This news was revealed the same day that Silvercar, a similarly tech-focused player on the rental car side, announced $28 million Series C equity funding round led by Audi. 

Silvercar, which made the announcement in conjunction with the release of its enhanced digital and mobile platform plus its expansion into Las Vegas, plans to use the funding to boost its airport car rental business and expand to new markets.

Audi and Silvercar are also working together to build a turnkey solution known as Audi Shared Fleet for businesses to provide transportation for their employees on corporate campuses.

And these deals may only be the tip of the iceberg.

“The GM-Lyft alliance follows news of a Ford-Google alliance, both of which are only the beginning of a series of automaker-tech tie-ups we'll see in the coming months,” Kelley Blue Book senior analyst Karl Brauer said in commentary on the GM deal provided by KBB.

“The rapidly shifting nature of personal transportation has traditional car companies scrambling to position themselves for an uncertain future,” he added. “It's also creating an unprecedented opportunity for technology companies, assuming they can master autonomous technology while finding an effective partner to provide the hardware.”

As for Audi's news, for those unfamiliar with Silvercar, its ties to the auto business are somewhat unique: by design, it only offers fully loaded silver Audis.

The entire process is done through a mobile app and concierge service. The company started on the airport car rental sector, looking to “eliminate typical frustrations and points of friction,” but has been adding non-airport offerings, as well.

The $28 million funding announced Monday is its largest to date.

“Audi’s confidence in Silvercar allows us to extend our reach even further, and bring forth the concept of shared mobility into many more markets, applications and product offerings," Silvercar chief executive officer Luke Schneider said in the news release. “It is our goal to accelerate the expansion of our successful airport business in order to integrate these new mobility products into the market as soon as possible.”

Audi North America president Scott Keogh, who is joining Silvercar's board of directors, added:  “Silvercar represents not just the future of the car rental industry, but a vision for the future of mobility. We want to utilize the company's strengths in technology and innovation to merge connectivity and mobility for today's consumer.”

These moves come at a time when many automotive companies —including dealers and others on the remarketing side — have partnered with Uber and other disruptive tech models.