Mobility Trends in North America (2026 – 2028)

Introduction to North American Mobility Trends

As technology and customer expectations evolve, the North American mobility market is entering another decade of transformation. According to McKinsey, the disruption that’s coming will exceed that of the last 50 years. We can expect the plus of electrification, AI in mobility, integrated mobility platforms, and previously unseen platform capabilities.

This transformation is already visible in North America, which is setting the trend for the rest of the world. With high smartphone penetration, early adoption of ridesharing, and strong investment in autonomous technologies, North America is leading the change. By 2028, the combination of these forces is expected to reshape all mobility, including but not limited to public transportation, rideshare, delivery, and specialized segments such as Non-Emergency Medical Transportation (NEMT).

Focus Areas in North American Mobility

The focus areas in North American mobility include:

• Rideshare
• Transportation Network Companies (TNC)
• NEMT
• Delivery
• Mobility as a Service (MaaS)
• Electrification
• Autonomous Mobility
• AI Integrations

Electrification of Mobility

Electrification is the primary focus of multiple industries at the moment, and it’s reshaping mobility fleets. Transportation companies are expanding and scaling Electric Vehicle (EV) production, with EV sales surging from 1.3 million in 2017 to a projected 3 million by 2026. Over 120 new EV models are released annually, and according to Gartner, over 50% of all vehicle models globally will be electric by 2030.

As battery prices decline and electric vehicles become more cost-effective, creating an all-EV fleet becomes a plausible possibility for TNC operators, NEMT providers, and other on-demand service providers. An increasing number of cities are implementing sustainability mandates, with major North American jurisdictions setting 2030–2035 zero-emission mandates for TNC fleets.

Implications for Mobility Business Owners

Local mobility businesses will face pressure to adopt electric vehicles from both the government and users. Regulations around medical transportation will become stricter, and healthcare networks will prefer low-emission partners. Local mobility companies can take part in local transportation programs and partner with government agencies to make city transportation greener. Adopting electrification early might allow local companies to capture the niche that TNCs have not yet dominated.

Expansion of Rideshare & TNC Services

Rideshare remains strong in cities and is growing in suburban, rural, and multimodal markets. The U.S. ridesharing market is already a $30B market, with 150%+ Compound Annual Plus Rate (CAGR) in major metro areas, and 10 U.S. cities generate $500M+ annually in ridesharing revenue. In the coming years, we expect the design change and the diversification of rideshare and TNC services to fit the demands of the market.

The most prominent changes will be:

• Adaptable vehicle interiors for families, groups, deliveries, and commuting
• Greater emphasis on safety features (e.g., “Women-for-women” services, SOS buttons, live sharing features)
• Digitization of all traditional taxi businesses
• A growing number of niche services (airport rides, NEMT, rides for kids, rides with pets, etc.)
• A growing number of collaborations between different service providers
• The appearance of MaaS providers with tiered subscription models to offer unlimited multimodal travel for a fixed monthly fee

Implications for Mobility Business Owners

Growing use of rideshare and TNC services will lead to increased competition in the market. Mobility business owners can benefit from integrating a ride hailing API, leveraging mobility intelligence, and utilizing taxi software to stay ahead of the competition.

To learn more about how to navigate the changing mobility landscape, book a call with opran to discuss your business goals and discover how our expertise in ride hailing API, mobility intelligence, and taxi software can help you succeed.