Wed February 25, 2026 | Mobility Monitor

Airline Industry

Spirit Airlines reaches deal with creditors to emerge from Chapter 11 bankruptcy in late spring/early summer, planning to expand premium seats and shift focus to high-demand routes Skift
United Airlines overhauls loyalty program with "carrot, stick" approach - MileagePlus members without United credit cards will earn fewer miles, while credit card holders get more miles and discounts CX Dive
Europe faces green fuel supply challenge as eSAF plants take four years to build, potentially forcing policymakers to adjust aviation mandates Skift

Home Depot creates new "operations experience manager" role at store level to oversee interconnected shopping and last-mile fulfillment experiences CX Dive
Raley's launches automatic discount program that applies savings at checkout when shoppers enter phone number, eliminating need to clip coupons CX Dive

Airbnb introduces pay-later option for Asia Pacific guests (excluding India), allowing bookings without upfront payment Skift
Kayak's new marketing campaign targets Millennials but avoids mentioning AI, despite parent company Booking Holdings viewing AI as travel's future Skift
Starwood Hotels CEO explains revived brand's strategy to stay small, betting "less can be more" in digital distribution era Skift
S4BT acquires HotelHub, bringing $5 billion in annual corporate hotel bookings into its network without becoming a traditional travel agency Skift
Awaze unveils ChatGPT app for Cottages.com brand, enabling conversational search for properties with live availability and pricing as part of $45M modernization effort Phocuswire
RobosizeME raises $2M to automate hotel back-office processes, helping reduce errors and cut costs Phocuswire
Bounce expands luggage storage network by acquiring European competitor Nannybag Phocuswire

Waymo expands robotaxi service to four new US cities (Dallas, Houston, San Antonio, Orlando), bringing total to 10 markets Electrek / TechCrunch
Uber unveils Autonomous Solutions business focused on helping AV partners with infrastructure, user experience, and fleet operations Phocuswire
Uber CEO reveals company engineers built an AI chatbot version of him that employees use to practice pitches TechCrunch

Self-driving tech startup Wayve raises $1.2B from Nvidia, Uber, and three automakers TechCrunch
Archer Aviation accuses rival Vertical Aerospace of patent infringement over air taxi designs The Verge

Tesla EU registrations crash 17% in January 2026 while broader battery-electric vehicle market grows 14% Electrek
Volvo recalls over 40,000 EX30 EVs due to battery fire risk, urging customers to charge only to 70% until battery replacement The Drive
Lamborghini cancels electric Lanzador, with CEO calling heavy battery EV investment "financially irresponsible" as supercar buyers reject EVs Ars Technica
Chinese manufacturers debut solid-state EV batteries promising nearly 1,000 miles of range Electrek
Lexus IS reportedly returning as an EV as soon as next year, potentially filling luxury sedan void left by Tesla ending Model S Electrek
Land Rover Defender Sport EV to debut by end of 2026 as smaller, more affordable electric off-road SUV Electrek
Toyota partners with Treehouse to simplify Level 2 home charger installation for EV and PHEV owners Electrek
Lucid aims to produce 25,000 to 27,000 EVs in 2026, a 40-50% increase, despite missing Q4 earnings estimates Electrek
Nissan testing new E-Power hybrid system in imported Qashqais, achieving 50 mpg in crossover Ars Technica
New study reveals plug-in hybrid vehicles are rarely charged, raising questions about their continued production TechCrunch

Tesla adds 64 Megacharger locations across 15 states to map, revealing Semi truck charging network covering major freight corridors Electrek
Rivian partners with EnergyHub to enable drivers across North America to join utility-run charging programs that reward grid-friendly charging times Electrek
First Solar signs patent licensing agreement with Oxford PV for perovskite solar technology Electrek

Ford recalls over 400,000 Explorers for defective rear toe links that can break and cause sudden steering loss The Drive
GM expands 10-speed transmission recall, adding more trucks and SUVs while requiring some owners to return for do-over repairs The Drive

CarGurus data breach affects 12.5 million accounts, exposing names, email addresses, phone numbers, and physical addresses TechCrunch

Xtracycle launches Swoop ASM family cargo e-bike with room for four people, designed to replace family car for school and sports runs Electrek
Honda's 100 million-unit Super Cub remains gas-powered despite rider demand for electric version Electrek