Week ending: 2026-04-03
Rental Car Industry
- 'Zero Friction' becomes the key buzzword at industry conference as rental companies focus on streamlining customer experience Auto Rental News
- Rental fleet sales remain strong in Q1 despite monthly fluctuations Auto Rental News
- Green Motion expands operations with new franchise in Azerbaijan Auto Rental News
Airline Industry
- United Airlines introduces tiered pricing for premium cabin seats, bringing basic economy concepts to business class Skift
- British Airways to allow in-flight phone calls via Starlink, sparking passenger experience debate Skift
- United and JetBlue raise baggage fees amid surging fuel costs from Middle East conflict Skift
- IndiGo doubles down on fuel surcharges during Iran war Skift
- Air Canada CEO to retire amid backlash to LaGuardia crash response Skift
- IndiGo hires IATA Chief Willie Walsh as new CEO Skift
- Virgin Atlantic cancels Riyadh route less than a year after launch Skift
- United's mobile app now displays real-time TSA wait times at select airports TechCrunch
Electric Vehicles
- BYD launches new EV with 5-minute charging and pricing starting at $22,000, attracting 120,000 overseas sales in March Electrek
- Rising oil prices from Iran conflict drive consumers toward EVs as gas becomes unaffordable Electrek
- Tesla Q1 deliveries miss expectations at 358,000, with 50,000 excess vehicles produced, signaling overproduction problem Electrek
- Tesla confirms Model S and Model X production has ended with only ~600 vehicles remaining in inventory Electrek
- Toyota's bZ4X outsold Ford's EVs in Q1, becoming one of America's top-selling electric SUVs with single model Electrek
- Kia unveils US-spec EV3 compact SUV with 320 miles of range, launching this year The Verge
- Hyundai unveils Boulder SUV Concept, targeting Ford Bronco and Jeep Wrangler with body-on-frame design The Drive
- Subaru announces Getaway: 420hp, 3-row electric SUV, its most powerful vehicle yet The Drive
- Rivian Q1 deliveries beat estimates though production fell short; R2 employee deliveries beginning in April EV Blog
- GM idles Factory Zero electric truck plant again, laying off 1,300 workers for a month as EV truck demand craters Electrek
- Mercedes adds steer-by-wire and controversial steering yoke to 2026 EQS The Verge
- Lucid recalls over 4,000 Gravity SUVs for improperly welded seat belts TechCrunch
- Prius sales tank in 2026 as hybrid market shifts The Drive
- Honda cuts Prologue EV prices by $7,500 Electrek
- VW reiterates ID Buzz will continue production despite earlier reports The Drive
Autonomous Vehicles
- Baidu robotaxis experience 'system failure' causing traffic disruptions in Wuhan, China TechCrunch
- Waymo robotaxi ridership continues skyrocketing, begins service at San Antonio International Airport TechCrunch
- Uber and WeRide expand robotaxi operations in Dubai TechCrunch
- WeRide partners with Uber and Grab to advance autonomous vehicle rollout Phocuswire
- Robotaxi companies refuse to disclose how often their AVs need remote assistance TechCrunch
- Rivian spinoff Also will build autonomous delivery vehicles for DoorDash TechCrunch
- Tesla expands unsupervised 'Robotaxi' service area in Austin with only a handful of vehicles Electrek
- Tesla FSD v14.3 launching this week, Musk claims 'last piece of the puzzle' Electrek
Rideshare Industry
- Uber expands $4,000 'Go Electric' grant to drivers nationwide, offering up to $6,500 in incentives The Verge
- Uber acquires Blacklane to boost executive and premium ride services Skift
Customer Experience
- Survey finds human-driven customer service expected to become a luxury within 10 years CX Dive
- Consumers prefer human associates for follow-up communication over automation CX Dive
- Self-service gaining ground, but phone remains top customer support channel CX Dive
- Starbucks adds performance bonuses for baristas, aligning staff incentives with customer experience goals CX Dive
- Dave & Buster's CEO: Guest experience 'can never exceed' staff experience CX Dive
- Abercrombie & Fitch uses geofencing for targeted customer feedback collection CX Dive
- Hotel guests prioritize trust and loyalty rewards over cost considerations CX Dive
- Bank customers embrace AI but still demand human customer support options CX Dive
- Chewy's customer care AI tools reduce handle times and lower operational costs CX Dive
Product Launches
- Belk introduces BeautySpace shop-in-shops to select stores Retail Dive
- Macy's introduces AI-powered shopping assistant 'Ask Macy's' Retail Dive
- Nissan confirms next GT-R will be hybrid, retain VR38 engine block, arrive by 2030 The Drive
- Ford sets Nurburgring record, but not with Mustang GTD The Drive
- Dodge asks 'Do you need a radio' in back-to-basics quest for affordable entry-level cars The Drive
- Hyundai targets midsize truck market, believes it can fix category's endemic problems The Drive
AI/Automation
- Airbnb adds airport transfer services through acquisition of Welcome Pickups Skift
- Amazon Alexa Plus learns to book travel after mastering pizza ordering Skift
- TUI shares lessons on scaling AI: 'Requires the courage to dismantle' existing systems Skift
- Intuit's AI agents achieve 85% repeat usage by keeping humans involved VentureBeat
- Microsoft launches 3 new AI models in direct challenge to OpenAI and Google VentureBeat
- Slack adds 30 AI features to Slackbot in most ambitious update since Salesforce acquisition VentureBeat
- Meta's Ray-Ban prescription smart glasses bring live translation to travelers Skift
- Home Depot appoints CTO with AI focus Retail Dive
Hospitality Industry
- IHG, Marriott, and Hyatt pursue hotel conversions for midscale growth strategy Skift
- UK government planning industry-wide hotel safety talks following Travelodge assault incident Skift
- Accor completes $1.1 billion sale to Blackstone-led group, clearing path for Ennismore IPO Skift
- Marriott launches 39th brand: two-property Italian wellness resort Skift
- Hilton, Accor, and Club Med pledge to halve food waste, targeting buffets first Skift
- Kempinski makes first acquisition in 55 years with Prague monastery