Thu March 5, 2026 | Mobility Monitor

Electric Vehicles

Hyundai discontinues Ioniq 6 in US but keeps high-performance N variant, offering $10,000 discount on Ioniq 5 after 33% sales jump (The Drive) (Electrek)
Hyundai Ioniq 6 N preview drive showcases EV performance formula working across various body styles (The Drive)
BYD's new Blade Battery 2.0 delivers 625-mile range and ultra-fast charging, debuting in Yangwang U7 sedan (Electrek)
Rivian launches RAD performance sub-brand promising "most badass" versions of vehicles (The Drive)
Volkswagen's affordable ID. Cross electric SUV nears launch to sit below ID.4 (Electrek)
Volvo struggles with demand exceeding supply for next SUV in Europe ahead of US launch (The Drive)
Ford's EV sales plunge 71% in February as company shifts focus to hybrids amid $4.8B losses (EV Blog)
Lucid's US sales nearly double to 1,500 units as Gravity SUV ramp continues (EV Blog)
Toyota ranks near bottom of supply chain sustainability ranking while Tesla, Ford, and Volvo lead in carbon elimination efforts (The Verge)

Tesla changes FSD transfer rules, switching deadline back to "delivery by March 31" and hurting Cybertruck AWD buyers (Electrek)
Tesla posts first European Cybercab engineering role near Gigafactory Berlin for autonomous robotaxi development (EV Blog)
Elon Musk claims Tesla will "make AGI" in latest AI prediction following years of unfulfilled promises (Electrek)

Best Buy positions itself at forefront of agentic AI discovery, seeking to serve customers in new ways on and off platforms (CX Dive)
Accor exec warns AI overuse could erode hotels' "human connection", risking brand over-standardization (Skift)
ChatGPT app enables direct hotel bookings through Lighthouse's Connect AI integration (Phocuswire)
Chinese driver crashes after voice command accidentally disables headlights instead of map lights (The Drive)

Digital wallets expanding beyond payments as Badge startup helps brands enhance wallet presence (CX Dive)
Financially squeezed consumers abandon brand loyalty for value, with convenience-focused brands best positioned to maintain loyalty (CX Dive)
EXL named Leader in customer experience services for insurance operations by Everest Group (Yahoo Finance)
Uber for Business showcases dealership transportation solutions at NADA 2026, partnering with TSD Mobility Solutions (Uber for Business LinkedIn)

Sixt delivers fourth consecutive record year with EUR 4.3bn revenue, 20% EBT growth, and 18% European market share (Sixt LinkedIn)
Sixt launches SIXT ONE rewards program with hundreds of thousands of US sign-ups within weeks, rolling out globally (Sixt LinkedIn)

Iran war causes sharp travel shock to UAE with blanket cancellations and airspace closures affecting tourism and F&B revenue (Skift)

Airbnb expands beyond homes with "one-stop-shop" strategy to own entire trip experience (Skift)
Climate change threatens coastal and mountain destinations, potentially reshaping where and when tourists travel (Skift)
World Cup countdown clouded by unpaid bills, blocked fans, and cartel violence with key issues to resolve before kickoff (Skift)
Lonely Planet launches travel app combining guidebook expertise with interactive maps and trip-building tools (Phocuswire)
APAC region embraces AI, loyalty ecosystems, and experiences boom in digital-first travel market (Phocuswire)

Walmart expands digital shelf labels to all US stores by end of 2026, helping associates manage pricing and fulfillment (Retail Dive)
Target unveils multiyear turnaround plan with $1B operational investment, emphasizing it's "not an everything store" (Retail Dive)

US car buyers rolling record negative equity into new purchases, deeper underwater than ever on old loans (The Drive)
Tesla's US sales fall for third consecutive month despite updated lineup (EV Blog)
Tesla wins union vote at Giga Berlin as IG Metall support drops from 39.4% to 31.1% following company pressure (Electrek)
Nio restructures European operations, breaking into six departments and shifting to distributor model after firing Germany chief (EV Blog)

Germany gets hybrid wind and solar power plant from Vattenfall combining both sources at single site (Electrek)