Mobility Monitor

Rental Car Industry

• 2022 U.S. car rental revenue hit record $36.1B, up 24.7% over 2021 and surpassing the previous 2019 record (Auto Rental News)
• Avis reports record $3.5B revenue in Q3 2022, 18% higher than the same quarter last year (Auto Rental News)
• Sixt reports strongest quarter earnings in company history, with Q3 2022 revenue up 24.8% to €997.1 million (Auto Rental News)
• Hertz settles legal claims for $168 million, resolving 95% of hundreds of claims relating to vehicle theft reporting (Auto Rental News)
• NHTSA investigates if Hertz rented unrepaired recalled vehicles involving Ford Explorer and Nissan Altima models between 2018-2020 (Auto Rental News)
• Car rental rates hit historical highs in 2022 before softening as supply slowly corrected, according to three-year analysis (Auto Rental News)
• Kyte closes $60M Series B funding to triple fleet, expand globally, add EVs, and pursue autonomous trip options (Auto Rental News)
• Kyte launches subscription service offering economy, sedan, and SUVs across its 14 U.S. markets (Auto Rental News)
• Silvercar by Audi rebrands to Audi on demand, now including long-term rental options (Auto Rental News)

Customer Experience & Loyalty Programs

• Enterprise and National expand loyalty benefits with upgraded rewards including free days, elite tier extensions, and points promotions (Auto Rental News)
• National named best car rental company of 2023 by Trips to Discover for transparency, customer satisfaction, and no cancellation fees (Auto Rental News)
• Sixt named best car rental company in North America by Business Traveler U.S. Awards (Auto Rental News)
• Survey reveals negative rental car experiences are common, according to FinanceBuzz study (Auto Rental News)
• McDonald's positions loyalty app at center of tech ambitions, with active loyalty members as the "single most important digital metric" (CX Dive)
• Bank of America rolls out tiered, no-fee rewards program expanding reach to all customers (CX Dive)
• Airbnb tests loyalty benefits that CEO Chesky says "could be a massive accelerant" (Skift)
• Uber debuts AI-powered personal shopper feature on Uber Eats, building full grocery baskets from text or image prompts (CX Dive)

Electric Vehicles

• EV sales soar 68% YOY in Q3, with U.S. EV sales nearly equaling hybrid sales for first time (Auto Rental News)
• Charlotte launches EV carsharing for affordable housing with 10 shared EVs at five developments starting in 2023 (Auto Rental News)
• Autonomy orders 2,500 VinFast EVs for its subscription service, with VF 8 and VF 9 deliveries over next 12 months (Auto Rental News)
• UFODrive expands all-electric rental service to seven U.S. cities including San Francisco, Austin, New York, Boston, Las Vegas, Chicago, and Miami (Auto Rental News)
• Hertz launches electric car initiative in Denver, partnering with mayors to bring EVs and charging infrastructure to U.S. cities (Auto Rental News)
• Hertz and Uber expand partnership in Europe to bring 25,000 EVs to European capitals by 2030 (Auto Rental News)
• Free2move adds Fiat 500e to carsharing fleet as flagship offering for services across U.S. and Europe (Auto Rental News)
• Tesla heats up race for universal EV charge connector as industry debates charging standards (Auto Rental News)
• High voltage power grid vital for future EV charging demand, analysis provides blueprint for highway fast-charging (Auto Rental News)
• EvoCharge releases 40-amp Level 2 EV charging stations for commercial and residential use (Auto Rental News)
• Hyperion unveils mobile station for hydrogen and battery vehicles as part of nationwide charging network starting 2023 (Auto Rental News)
• EVgo and Lyft launch partnership offering drivers up to 45% savings at 850+ fast-charging locations (Auto Rental News)

AI & Automation

• Hertz and Ravin AI partner on AI vehicle inspection pilot in Sweden and Norway to improve efficiency and standardization (Auto Rental News)
• PurCo and Bynx release digital inspection solution for fully digitized vehicle damage claims handling (Auto Rental News)
• HGS Axle Smartbot automates dispatch providing real-time roadside assistance tracking in 2-3 minutes (Auto Rental News)
• U.S. airlines using AI for operations and facing new risks as technology becomes edge in day-to-day operations (Skift)
• Williams-Sonoma to test ads in ChatGPT partnering with OpenAI to reach customers at decision-making moments (Retail Dive)

Autonomous Vehicles

• Tesla drove itself from LA to NYC with human error as the largest issue during cross-country winter drive (The Drive)

Rideshare Industry

• Lyft CEO: "Customer obsession drives our profitable growth" with record rider retention and 18% YOY active rider growth (CX Dive)
• Getaround closes business combination with InterPrivate II with management team continuing to lead (Auto Rental News)
• HyreCar expands fleet portfolio with HyreCar Select unlocking new EV and ICE models for carsharing platform (Auto Rental News)

Vehicle Fleet & Supply

• October fleet sales up nearly 49% YOY as manufacturers shift to fleet amid softening retail sales (Auto Rental News)
• November fleet sales up nearly 55% YOY with GM overtaking Ford as commercial channel leader (Auto Rental News)
• Wholesale used-vehicle prices down 14.2% in November YOY across all eight major market segments (Auto Rental News)
• New vehicle supply rebounds with days' supply climbing to 49, highest since May 2021 (Auto Rental News)
• New vehicle prices hit record high for November 2022 with buyers paying over $500 above sticker price on average (Auto Rental News)
• New vehicle monthly payment hits another record high as affordability declines (Auto Rental News)
• Ritchie Bros. Auctioneers acquires IAA to expand global marketplace and vehicle remarketing presence (Auto Rental News)

Technology & Partnerships

• Zubie partners with peer-to-peer RV rental platform Outdoorsy providing tracking devices for listed RVs (Auto Rental News)
• Privacy4Cars secures fourth patent for removing privacy information from vehicles using computing device (Auto Rental News)
• Rentall partners with Scrive for digital rental agreements and document management (Auto Rental News)
• Rentall introduces payment processing solution partnering with Valpay for car rental operators (Auto Rental News)
• Liigu and Liligo partner on keyless car rental in France bringing contactless services to renters (Auto Rental News)
• RateGain acquires Adara to provide comprehensive travel-intent, pricing, and inventory data (Auto Rental News)

Airline Industry

• Hertz and AAA extend partnership for 5 years aligning on strategic initiatives including EV adoption (Auto Rental News)

Expansion & New Locations

• Enterprise adds new locations in Ireland, Cardiff as part of continued international growth (Auto Rental News)
• Enterprise and Alamo brands launch in South Korea through partnership with Korea First Rent A Car (Auto Rental News)
• Sixt opens at Colorado's Eagle County Regional Airport and launches first national U.S. marketing campaign (Auto Rental News)
• Green Motion expands to Azerbaijan, Lisbon airport, Spain with new master franchise and flagship locations (Auto Rental News)
• Carwiz announces new franchises in Jordan representing brand's first Middle Eastern operation (Auto Rental News)

Sustainability

• GO Rentals to be first NZ car rental company with Toitu net Carbonzero Certification (Auto Rental News)

Industry Challenges

- Legislation introduced to combat catalytic converter thefts with PART Act establishing traceable ID numbers (Auto Rental News)