Week ending: 2026-03-20
Electric Vehicles
- Stellantis EVs now have access to Tesla Supercharger network, marking the last major automaker to gain compatibility The Drive
- Tesla faces intensified federal investigation into Full Self-Driving software, with NHTSA upgrading probe to 3.2 million vehicles and nearing potential recall Electrek, TechCrunch
- BYD offering 18 months of free 5-minute EV charging as gas prices surge Electrek
- BMW unveils 2027 i3 electric sedan with 440 miles of range, marking the 3 Series' biggest change in decades Electrek, The Drive
- Xiaomi launches next-generation SU7 with 902 km range and LiDAR, undercutting Tesla pricing Electrek
- Volvo cancels EX30 sales in US market due to "shifting market conditions" The Verge, The Drive
- Lexus launches ES EV with over 300 miles range, undercutting rival prices Electrek
- Washington state opens Tesla's direct EV sales loophole to Rivian and Lucid Electrek
- Sodium-ion EV battery breakthrough in China achieves 4C fast charging in 11 minutes Electrek
- New EV fee proposals would charge owners 2-3x what gas drivers pay in federal tax Electrek
- EVs wiped out oil demand equal to 70% of Iran's exports in 2025 Electrek
Autonomous Vehicles
- Uber partners with Rivian in $1.25 billion robotaxi deal for up to 50,000 R2 vehicles by 2031 MoveMnt, The Drive
- Rivian abandons 2027 profitability target to focus deeper on autonomy development TechCrunch
- Waymo surpasses 170 million autonomous miles while avoiding serious incidents The Verge
- Former Uber CEO Kalanick says Waymo "obviously" ahead of Tesla in robotaxi race Electrek
- Motional robotaxis join Uber app in Las Vegas two years after major reset TechCrunch
- Nvidia partners with Uber and Bolt to launch robotaxis across Europe EV Blog
- Einride paves the way for autonomous "smart corridors" in Texas MoveMnt
AI/Automation
- Scale AI launches Voice Showdown, first real-world benchmark for voice AI with humbling results for top models Venturebeat
- OpenAI pulls back on ChatGPT checkout while Google pushes ahead with transactions in travel Skift
- Microsoft launches Fabric IQ to address AI agents operating from different versions of reality Venturebeat
- Xiaomi unveils MiMo-V2-Pro LLM nearing GPT-5.2 performance at fraction of cost Venturebeat
- Anthropic launches Claude Code Channels for messaging over Telegram and Discord Venturebeat
- Half of consumers prefer brands that don't use generative AI, Gartner study finds Retail Dive
- Google adds cart and loyalty features to Universal Commerce Platform Phocuswire
- SAP Concur adds AI agents for expense automation, expands AmexGBT partnership Skift
Airline Industry
- Iran War severely disrupts Middle East air travel, with airlines hiking ticket prices 5x-20x and pulling routes Skift, Skift
- British Airways pulls Dubai and key Middle East flights until June Skift
- Delta CEO reports demand is up despite high jet fuel costs Skift
- United bets it can beat fuel surge and outprice budget rivals Skift
- American Airlines sees more premium demand but expects fuel prices to hit profits Skift
- Iran War forces Gulf airlines to loosen loyalty program requirements Skift
- US expands visa bond requirement to 50 nations Skift
- TSA agents face unpaid work during government shutdown, airports seek donations Skift
Travel Industry
- Capital One acquires Hopper tech and employees behind its travel portal with significant payout Skift
- MakeMyTrip eyes IPO in India Skift
- Tripadvisor Board Chair Greg Maffei to step down with activist investor in the wings Skift
- China-US visitor numbers rise while India levels head down Skift
- US travel breaks 9-month losing streak, but just barely Skift
- Hilton cuts Yotel deal, launches Select by Hilton brand Skift
- Accor opens investigation after short-seller report alleges human trafficking Skift
- Hyatt's catch-up play focuses on non-luxury brands in smaller markets Skift
Cybersecurity
- Cyberattack on vehicle breathalyzer company leaves drivers stranded across the US TechCrunch
- Meta's rogue AI agent passed every identity check, exposing gaps in enterprise IAM Venturebeat
Customer Experience
- Bob's Discount Furniture achieves 90%+ customer satisfaction rate CX Dive
- Surveillance pricing threatens consumer trust and loyalty CX Dive
- Williams-Sonoma aims to infuse product authority into AI experiences CX Dive
- Ulta sees AI as personalization tool with loyalty program as fuel CX Dive
- El Pollo Loco adds experiential rewards to loyalty program including MLS All-Star Game tickets CX Dive
Retail/E-commerce
- Lowe's launches subscription service for in-home maintenance Retail Dive
- Amazon launches 1-hour and 3-hour delivery options Retail Dive
- Build-A-Bear launches at Walmart through wholesale partnership Retail Dive
- Meta opens flagship store in NYC Retail Dive