A Waymo self-driving robotaxi, owned by Alphabet’s autonomous driving unit, is engulfed in flames after the San Francisco Hearth Division mentioned in a press release on social media that fireworks had been thrown contained in the car, in San Francisco, California, on Feb. 10, 2024 in a nonetheless picture from video.
Michael Vandi | By way of Reuters
A crowd vandalized a Waymo self-driving car and set it on hearth by throwing a firework contained in the automobile in San Francisco on Saturday, mentioned Waymo, which is owned by Alphabet.
This isn’t the primary time individuals have attacked a self-driving automobile, however the severity of the incident could illustrate rising public hostility towards self-driving vehicles following a pedestrian-dragging accident final 12 months involving a self-driving car operated by General Motors‘ Cruise unit.
Waymo mentioned that round 9 p.m. native time on Saturday (0500 GMT Sunday), somebody in a crowd broke a automobile window and threw a firework inside, setting the car ablaze. Waymo didn’t say what brought about the group to assault the automobile.
Video footage on social media confirmed the electrical car burning, sending up an enormous plume of black smoke.
“The car was not transporting any riders and no accidents have been reported. We’re working carefully with native security officers to answer the state of affairs,” the corporate mentioned.
The San Francisco hearth division mentioned it turned over the case to the police who had been investigating the reason for the assault.
The hearth division on social media posted photos of the charred stays of the automobile, together with saying {that a} firework contained in the car began the blaze. The San Francisco police division was not instantly accessible for remark.
Final week, a driverless Waymo automobile collided with a bike owner in San Francisco, inflicting minor accidents and the incident is being reviewed by the state’s auto regulator.
On Oct. 2, a pedestrian hit by one other car was thrown into the trail of a self-driving Cruise car and dragged 20 ft (6 meters).
California suspended the corporate’s driverless testing license, and Cruise pulled all its U.S. self-driving autos from testing.