Week ending: 2026-03-27
Electric Vehicles
- New EV sales drop 28% in Q1 2026, but used EVs surge 12% to near-record levels - Used EV market shows strong growth while new sales decline Electrek
- Kia EV2 enters production and is now available to order - Kia's most affordable EV begins assembly in Slovakia as part of European electrification push Electrek / EV Blog
- BYD outsells Tesla in Europe for second straight month - Chinese EV maker continues to widen gap in European market registrations Electrek
- Hyundai launches new affordable electric SUV that looks like twin to Kia EV2 - Budget-friendly EV SUV with self-parking capability enters market Electrek
- Honda cancels two electric vehicles developed with Sony - Joint EV project with PlayStation integration scrapped as Honda reverses strategy Ars Technica / TechCrunch
- Volkswagen recalls nearly 100,000 EVs over potential faulty battery modules - Major recall affects VW Group electric vehicles Electrek
- Sodium-ion EV battery breakthrough delivers 11-min charging and 450 km range - New battery technology achieves fast charging milestone Electrek
- Tesla teases 'something cooler than a minivan' - Elon Musk hints at new vehicle category beyond minivans Electrek
- Tesla and SpaceX announce $25B 'Terafab' chip factory - Major AI chip manufacturing facility planned with analysts estimating costs could exceed $50 billion Electrek / EV Blog
Product Launches
- 2026 Porsche Cayenne Electric First Drive: Better than expected - New electric Cayenne surpasses expectations in first reviews The Drive
- 2027 Chevy Corvette Grand Sport returns with new LS6 V8 - Goldilocks spec Corvette features new engine with more torque than any factory NA V8 ever The Drive
- Corvette E-Ray discontinued, Grand Sport X takes its place - Hybrid E-Ray replaced by new Grand Sport X variant The Drive / Ars Technica
- 2027 Infiniti QX65 gives Nissan's luxury brand a three-row SUV - New model plugs gap in Infiniti's lineup against rivals The Drive
- Jeep reveals XJ Pioneer Restomod and V8 Wrangler 'Anvil' concepts - OEM showcases custom builds at Easter Jeep Safari The Drive
- 2027 Nissan Z NISMO gains six-speed manual option - Manual transmission returns to NISMO variant The Drive
Autonomous Vehicles
- Uber, Pony.ai and Verne launch robotaxi trials in Croatia - Europe's first commercial robotaxi service begins in Zagreb with Croatian startup Verne Phocuswire / TechCrunch
- Zoox expands robotaxi service to Austin and Miami - Amazon's autonomous vehicle company brings purpose-built robotaxis to two new cities The Verge / TechCrunch
- Waymo hits 500,000 weekly rides and over 4 million miles - Self-driving service reaches major operational milestones EV Blog
- California regulator confirms Tesla not operating autonomous vehicle service - State officials clarify Tesla's FSD does not qualify as robotaxi operation Electrek
- GM begins testing hands-free, eyes-off self-driving tech on public highways - Automaker advances personal autonomy features in largest EV MoveMnt / Electrek
- Rivian and VW Group complete winter testing of new zonal architecture - Joint venture milestone unlocks another $1B investment for Rivian Ars Technica / TechCrunch
Rideshare Industry
- Lyft launches 60-day driver support program as gas prices surge - Company introduces relief payments to help drivers with rising fuel costs Lyft LinkedIn
- Rivian shares plunge as Uber robotaxi optimism fades on profit delay - Stock drops as autonomous vehicle timeline concerns mount EV Blog
Airline Industry
- 3-hour airport lines and TSA system under pressure - Severe security delays strain airport operations nationwide Skift
- Trump to send ICE agents to airports to ease security line delays - Federal immigration agents deployed to assist with TSA bottlenecks Skift
- Airports stop posting wait times as lines stretch for hours - Facilities remove transparency as delays worsen Skift
- United CEO warns of more fare spikes, talks up possible deals - Airline signals pricing pressure ahead while exploring acquisitions Skift
- United adds 250 planes to fleet with more lie-flat seats and snack bars - Major aircraft order includes enhanced passenger amenities Skift
- United flight attendants get first raises in six years under new deal - Tentative agreement reached after prolonged negotiations Skift
- LaGuardia collision shuts airport, testing system under strain - Air Canada incident closes major hub amid operational pressures Skift
Rental Car Industry
- Hertz promotes solution for travelers affected by TSA delays - Company positions rentals as alternative to missing flights due to security lines Hertz LinkedIn
AI/Automation
- Intercom's Fin Apex 1.0 beats GPT-5.4 and Claude Sonnet 4.6 at customer service - Post-trained AI model demonstrates superior resolution rates Venturebeat
- Fliggy launches 'flyai' travel skill for AI agent workflows - Alibaba's travel platform introduces AI agent capability Phocuswire
- Google offers live translation to every iPhone without AirPods - Gemini-powered feature expands accessibility Skift
- Agentic AI finally starting to pay off for customer support - Companies see measurable ROI from AI agent deployments CX Dive
- OpenAI shuts down Sora video generation service - Company discontinues AI video model, app and API Venturebeat
- Trump's AI Framework misses travel's biggest pressure point - New policy aims to shift states' authority but overlooks key industry concerns Skift
- Google's Android Automotive moving from dashboard to 'brain' of the car - Platform expands beyond infotainment to control more vehicle functions The Verge
Customer Experience
- Booking.com points to human support as its 'differentiator' - Travel platform emphasizes human agents alongside AI tools CX Dive
- Domino's uses AI to improve Tracker pickup and delivery times - Pizza chain enhances real-time order status with artificial intelligence CX Dive
- Puma debuts AI concierge at Las Vegas store - Retail location features conversational AI assistant for shoppers Retail Dive
- Tecovas leverages AI to improve store experience - Boot retailer implements AI tools for enhanced in-store service Retail Dive
- Sephora launches app in ChatGPT - Beauty retailer brings shopping experience to OpenAI platform Retail Dive
- Starbucks rolls out ordering changes to unify experience across all stores - Coffee chain standardizes mobile ordering at licensed and airport locations CX Dive
Travel Industry
- Travelers waiting longer to book and it's changing everything - Shift to last-minute bookings reshapes industry operations and pricing Skift
- Hotels losing travelers' discovery window and scrambling to get it back - Major chains struggle with social media and AI-driven booking changes Skift
- Hotels warn World Cup bookings coming in light - Advance reservations for major event softer than expected Skift
- Millennials made travel their personality, for Gen Z it's just another purchase - Generational shift in travel attitudes reshapes marketing strategies Skift
- India's travel boom is real but payoff hasn't come yet - Market shows strong growth but profitability remains elusive Skift
- Tripadvisor and Starboard Value make peace - Activist investor could receive four board seats in settlement [Skift](https://skift.com/2026/03