After five of Waymo’s driverless taxis went up in flames Sunday during anti-ICE protests in downtown Los Angeles, costing the company hundreds of thousands of dollars, questions remain about how the vehicles made their way into the area.
Waymo eventually suspended service downtown after officials with the Los Angeles Police Department reportedly advised the company to do so.
In footage captured by KTLA, a row of the vehicles on North Los Angeles Street, near Arcadia Street, all tagged with graffiti, were seen fully engulfed in flames as dense black smoke thickened the air, while many of those on the street continue vandalize and photograph them.
While it’s unclear exactly how protesters started the car fires, there were reports that spray-paint was used as an accelerant, with video capturing at least one of the autonomous vehicles exploding.
Police eventually closed Los Angeles Street north of Arcadia and South Alameda Streets and declared an unlawful assembly.
Los Angeles Police Department Captain Erik Scott said that battery systems in electric vehicles are often difficult to apply water to during a fire and especially in the chaotic environment of Sunday evening’s violent demonstrations.
The department, according to Scott, had to just allow the cars to burn, which causes an increased threat to public health.
“When lithium-ion batteries burn, they release hydrogen-fluoride gas that is a highly toxic substance that could damage your lungs and can be absorbed through the skin,” Scott explained. “It can cause serious internal harm.”
According to a 2024 report by the Wall Street Journal, analysts estimated that Waymo’s driverless cars cost between $150,000 and $200,000 each.
With the five destroyed robotaxis, the cost of damages would amount to roughly between $750,000 to $1 million, based on WSJ’s estimate.
As for how the Waymo taxis made their way downtown to begin with, investigators and the company are looking into whether protesters may have used the app to order up the cars and light them on fire or, as other have speculated, protesters intercepted the vehicles from customers attempting to flee the area.
The company that the suspended downtown service may lead to increased wait times in other areas of L.A. and that as of right now, there is word on when service will resume in the area.
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