Thu February 26, 2026 | Mobility Monitor

Hospitality & Lodging

Hotel executives are shifting focus to loyalty programs as a new revenue engine to drive growth even when room pricing slows, rather than just focusing on repeat stays. Skift
Barcelona will double its hotel tax, with revenue potentially helping address the city's housing crisis, though there are concerns about deterring travelers. Skift
Vrbo is testing a weather-guarantee option powered by WeatherPromise that allows guests to pay fees for refunds when rain ruins their stay. Skift
Prism acquired 10 Sonder properties to bring its Belvilla brand to the U.S., evolving into an India-U.S. hospitality platform focused on extended-stay demand. Skift

Accor and Air France-KLM face higher debt costs after missing climate targets, with disclosures revealing why companies may fail to meet environmental goals. Skift
Saudi's Red Sea Airport aims for a 50:50 split between domestic and international travelers with an ambitious goal of one million passengers by 2030. Skift
India's aviation boom will be handled by new airports rather than expanding existing ones, though the model could face challenges if demand growth is disrupted. Skift

Post-Covid travel boom masked deep performance gaps that activist hedge funds are now exploiting as the boom fades. Skift
Trip.com Group sees massive opportunity in China's underdeveloped inbound tourism market, though now faces an antitrust investigation that could reshape platform economics. Skift
Amadeus acquired AI-driven corporate travel startup SkyLink to scale its AI efforts and integrate conversational technology into existing tools for business travelers. Phocuswire
Accessible tourism platform Wheel the World closed a $13M Series A round including $3.5 million in fresh capital. Phocuswire
S4BT acquired HotelHub to deliver integrated corporate hotel offering for TMCs, bringing its portfolio to eight corporate travel brands. Phocuswire
Trip.com Group increased Q4 2025 net revenue by 21% to $2.2 billion, with full-year revenue up 17% to almost $9 billion driven by travel demand. Phocuswire

Lowe's CEO credits AI with "dramatic improvements in customer service," with the Mylow AI assistant particularly helpful for providing product knowledge to new associates. CX Dive

Hertz held its inaugural Meet the Fleet employee event, giving team members hands-on experience with the company's newest fleet to better serve customers. Hertz LinkedIn
Europcar won Europe's leading car rental company award at World Travel Awards for the 23rd consecutive year. Europcar LinkedIn
Europcar Australia and New Zealand received Advertising Campaign of the Year and Car Rental Provider of the Year at Travel Trade Excellence Awards. Europcar LinkedIn
Europcar Spain won best rent a car award at Spain Travel Awards for facilitating mobility with flexible solutions in tourist and urban destinations. Europcar LinkedIn
Europcar and Goldcar offices at Malaga Airport installed Spain's first private photovoltaic plants for self-consumption within an airport facility. Europcar LinkedIn

Waymo confirmed it is laying groundwork to expand autonomous rideshare service to Chicago after vehicles were spotted in the city. Electrek
Waymo began mapping and collecting data in Chicago and Charlotte, announcing it currently operates robotaxis fully autonomously in 10 U.S. cities. TechCrunch
Wayve secured $1.2 billion in Series D funding from Microsoft, Nvidia, Uber, Nissan, Mercedes-Benz, and Stellantis, reaching an $8.6 billion valuation for its autonomous driving technology. MoveMnt
Harbinger acquired autonomous driving company Phantom AI in the Los Angeles trucking startup's first acquisition. TechCrunch
Uber for Business is helping automotive dealers like Lithia provide better customer service by eliminating waiting room time through ride services. Uber for Business LinkedIn

BYD launched new incentives in China offering 0% interest for 3 years with daily payments starting under $5 after sales fell for a fifth straight month. Electrek
Used Tesla prices rose 4.3% since the federal EV tax credit expired, while other used EVs dropped 3.6% on average, with used EV market share plunging 20%. Electrek
Ford is charging extra for the frunk on 2026 Mustang Mach-E models, ending the previously free front trunk feature. Electrek
Volvo's cheapest EV, the EX30, will get more affordable with a new entry-level trim and updated features including Vehicle-to-Load capability. Electrek
Hyundai is developing its first midsize pickup, potentially the IONIQ T7, which may share a body-on-frame platform with a new 4WD SUV. Electrek
Lucid CFO says 12% workforce cut will save $500 million over three years as the company posted a record quarterly operating loss of $1.065 billion. EV Blog
Tesla China delivery wait times fell to record lows of 1-3 weeks across all models. EV Blog
Nio's chip unit secured $330 million in its first external funding round as the company monetizes its intelligent-driving technology investments. EV Blog
Tesla must face a class-action lawsuit alleging systematic discrimination against American workers by preferring H-1B visa holders for engineering positions. Electrek
A study of 5,000+ home sales found solar panels increased home values by 5-10%, representing a $39,500 to $79,000 boost. Electrek

Jeep launched the 2026 Grand Cherokee with a four-cylinder Hurricane engine, offering punchy but imperfect performance in the 5,000-pound SUV. The Drive
Lincoln is reportedly planning a reskinned Bronco as a Mercedes G-Class rival, joining BMW and Audi in targeting the luxury off-road SUV market. The Drive
Ford expressed regret about not offering the manual Bronco Sasquatch combination sooner after enthusiasts strongly demanded it. The Drive
Chrysler's next-generation Pacifica minivan will feature a "RoboCop" styling update while retaining existing underpinnings and body. The Drive
Topdon launched the One Lite OBD2 scanner offering dealer-level diagnostics with J2534 pass-thru and topology mapping for $600. The Drive
Volvo's $3,200 sound system features unique "envelopment" and "intensity" tuning settings that significantly enhance audio quality. The Drive
Kawasaki officially launched development of CORLEO, a four-legged electric off-road personal mobility vehicle designed as an "electric horse." Electrek
Dutch startup Tiler's wireless e-bike charging system hit an unexpected hurdle despite successful development of magnetic kickstand charging technology. Electrek