Mobility Monitor

Key Developments

1. Avis Budget Group partners with Waymo for Dallas autonomous fleet operations - Avis Budget Group announced a strategic partnership with Waymo to provide end-to-end fleet management for Waymo's fully autonomous ride-hailing service launching in Dallas. This represents a major pivot in traditional rental car companies embracing autonomous vehicle technology and positions Avis as a key infrastructure partner in the AV rollout.

2. Avis launches "Avis First" premium curbside service - Avis introduced a first-class rental experience featuring curbside pickup/drop-off, premium vehicles ready on arrival, personal concierge service, and no refueling required. The service eliminates traditional pain points like shuttle buses, counters, and lines while targeting premium travelers willing to pay for convenience.

3. Hertz Car Sales launches on Amazon Autos nationwide - Hertz partnered with Amazon to sell its inventory of used vehicles through Amazon Autos, starting in four cities and expanding nationwide to all 45 locations. The collaboration meets customers where they already shop and represents a significant digital transformation in the used car buying experience.

By Company/Topic

Sixt

Service Expansion & Market Entry
- Entered five new Latin American markets (Mexico, Chile, Cayman Islands, El Salvador, Nicaragua), expanding footprint to 26 countries in the region
- Announced launch in Morocco with event scheduled for February 6 in Casablanca

Physical Experience Innovation
- Global branch modernization continues in London with refreshed locations at Heathrow T5, Richmond, Liverpool Street, Park Lane, and Knightsbridge
- Ranked #1 at Paris CDG Airport based on customer reviews across Google, Trustpilot, and Booking.com

Customer Experience & Marketing
- Partnership with Stranger Things/Netflix for promotional content
- Celebrated top Rental Sales Agents with Porsche Experience Day at Hockenheimring
- Launched provocative "Kinky Xmas" campaign

Financial Performance
- Q3/9M 2025 results showed record revenue growth of 6.6% YoY and 4.9% increase in earnings before tax

Sixt Ride

Product Launches
- Launched ride XXL Sprinter service in select German cities (Berlin, Hamburg) with guaranteed 12+ seats, targeting team outings and corporate travel
- New Executive Director Commercial hired - Lasse Morgenstern joined from Europcar to strengthen commercial strategy

Partnerships & Integration
- Integration with Atlatos enables direct booking of transfers from the Atlatos platform
- Won Booking.com Traveller Review Award for second consecutive year

App & Digital Experience
- Promoted SIXT app integration allowing seamless toggle between car rental and chauffeur service booking
- Positioned as solution for business travel during transit strikes

Recognition
- Driver of the Month program highlighting top-performing partners like Anees Chaudhry in Paris

Avis Budget Group

Major Product Launches
- Avis First premium service: Curbside pickup/drop-off, premium vehicles, personal concierge, no refueling required, no lines/counters
- Featured in unsolicited customer review highlighting value proposition
- Beth Gibson VP of Avis First named to GBTA WINiT Top 50

Strategic Partnerships
- Waymo autonomous vehicle partnership: Providing end-to-end fleet management for Waymo's Dallas launch
- Positioned as "operational backbone for autonomous mobility at scale"
- TSD Mobility Solutions integration: Dealerships can arrange Uber transportation directly from TSD platform

Digital Innovation
- New Avis app launched with in-app-only rates, streamlined rental process, and enhanced features

Sustainability & Operations
- Installed 100 KW/h solar panels at Fiumicino Airport station in Italy, reducing 50% of power needs
- Saved 4 tons of coal and 5 tons of CO2 in first weeks

Employee Recognition
- Multiple employee spotlight features highlighting customer-led service excellence
- 2026 Accelerate Corporate Internship Program welcomed 21 interns

Hertz

Major Product & Service Innovation
- Hertz Car Sales on Amazon Autos: Launched partnership to sell inventory through Amazon marketplace
- Started in Dallas, Houston, LA, Seattle; expanding to all 45 locations
- Full online buying capability launched
- Tom Brady campaign promoting service

• Hertz Gold Squad: Deployed trained golden retrievers to airports to reduce travel stress
• Appeared on TODAY Show
• Multiple city deployments throughout 2025

• Final 2025 stop at Newark Airport

• Rent2Buy program expansion: Scaled to 100+ cities, 3-day test rentals with 80% purchase conversion

Partnerships & Sponsorships
- World Central Kitchen partnership - first global nonprofit partnership
- NASCAR sponsorship with Legacy Motor Club
- Cadillac Hertz Team JOTA victories at São Paulo 6 Hours and Le Mans

Recognition & Awards
- 2025 Year in Review: Multiple awards including Travvy Awards Gold, Global Traveler Best Rental Car, Newsweek Best Loyalty Program
- WhereverFamily Family Innovator of the Year
- Zakenreis Awards 2025 wins for Benelux team

Financial Performance
- Best quarterly results in nearly two years with half-billion-dollar profitability improvement
- Q3 2025 strong results: Record utilization, fleet refresh completion, return to EPS profitability

Community Engagement
- Global Month of Giving initiatives across US, UK, Ireland, Italy
- Partnership with Immokalee Technical College for automotive technician training

Europcar

Market Position & Partnerships
- Published Decision Achats article on business travel electrification
- Midi Location acquisition - Groupe PRAX joined Europcar with 7 agencies in Perpignan, Béziers, Narbonne
- FITUR 2026 presence with MG Motor España partnership
- Presented mobility study at FITUR with Mobility Institute

Recognition & Operations
- TDM Travel Trade Excellence Awards: Europcar Australia/NZ won Advertising Campaign of the Year and Car Rental of the Year
- Alternance program - Nearly 100 interns joined teams in France
- Partnership with Madame Frigo - 4+ years supporting food waste reduction with sponsored vehicles

Uber for Business

Features & Positioning
- Simple toggle functionality between personal and business accounts
- Video demonstration of ease of use
- Employee ride and meal program management

Customer Testimonials
- Michelle Amos, Qualtrics: Highlighted simplicity and automated expensing
- Stephen C., Mastercard: Emphasized seamless compliance and no expense reports
- Laura Durakovich, Autodesk: Focused on sustainability visibility and low-emission rides

Industry Engagement
- FITUR 2026 participation with focus on mobility as end-to-end travel component
- NADA 2026 presence targeting dealership transportation solutions

Team Spotlight
- Daniel Brown profile: Senior Government Account Executive, 7 years at Uber

Lyft

Partnerships & Rewards
- United Airlines MileagePlus partnership: Riders earn 1-4 miles per dollar spent depending on ride type
- 1,000 bonus miles for new riders

Autonomous Vehicle Strategy
- Baidu partnership for London: Signed definitive agreement to bring Apollo Go autonomous vehicles to UK
- Plans for dozens of vehicles in 2026, scaling to hundreds
- 17 million cumulative rides globally, 240 million kilometers driven autonomously

• Tensor Auto "Lyft-ready" AVs: Partnership for personal L4 autonomy vehicles
• Vehicles can deploy on Lyft network when not in personal use
• Lyft reserved hundreds of vehicles

Product Innovation
- Lyft Teen launching early 2026: Service for riders 13-17 with parental controls, real-time tracking, PIN verification

Corporate Governance
- Deborah Hersman joined Board of Directors bringing AV strategy and safety expertise

Pricing Insight
- Harvard/Johns Hopkins research showed 14% average price difference vs Uber for identical NYC trips
- Estimated $300M in potential savings for riders who compare

Worth Watching

Autonomous Vehicle Infrastructure Partnerships

The Avis-Waymo partnership and [Lyft's dual autonomous strategy](https://www.linkedin.com/feed/update/urn