Monday, July 6, 2026

Waymo robotaxis stranded and one burns amid SF July 4 gridlock

Waymo

Extreme Fourth of July fireworks gridlock in San Francisco left more than a dozen Waymo robotaxis stuck for hours on July 4, draining batteries so that several ran out of charge and had to be towed, with riders reporting waits of up to four hours near the Palace of Fine Arts. Separately, an unoccupied Waymo caught fire near the 1200 block of Connecticut Street after driving over a small firework, and another was filmed rolling through an exploding firework in the Mission District. No injuries were reported; Waymo said it coordinated with the San Francisco Fire Department and local authorities to clear the vehicles.