San Francisco’s robotaxis have come under attack again, and this time we mean they really have come under attack. A mob vandalized one of Waymo’s autonomous Jaguar I-Pace EVs on Saturday, burning the car to the ground, leaving nothing but a charred, melted floorpan and a set of wheels.
Waymo says the electric cab was driving through the city’s Chinatown at 9 pm on Saturday, having recently dropped off a rider, when it was surrounded by a crowd who began to deface the exterior. Some of the vandals smashed the windows, throwing at least one firecracker inside, which resulted in the car catching fire. By the time the fire department had extinguished the blaze, the car was completely destroyed, but fortunately, no one was hurt in the attack.
Software engineer Michael Vandi, who was in Chinatown to watch the Lunar New Year Fireworks, and who posted footage of the incident to X, told Gizmodo that the ambush started when someone wearing a white hoodie jumped on the Jaguar’s hood. The car was stationary due to a traffic snarl-up. The person “WWE style K/O’ed the windshield & broke it,” he told the website. Vandi explained that although people were initially shocked, others also began attacking the car.
Related: Waymo To Expand Robotaxi Service Into Los Angeles
BREAKING: An autonomous Waymo vehicle is intentionally set on fire in Chinatown, according to SF Fire. Firefighters said they got reports around 10 people were involved.
— Gia Vang (@Gia_Vang) February 11, 2024
Waymo said “a crowd surrounded and vandalized the vehicle, breaking the window and throwing a firework … pic.twitter.com/6QN2jTppRu
According to comments made by a senior fire department official to the San Francisco Standard, the city’s police investigators have several strong leads thanks to clear video footage of the attack posted to social media. Waymo has vowed to continue running its robotaxi service in San Francisco.
This is the second bit of bad news for Waymo in recent weeks. One of the firm’s cars was recently involved in a collision with a cyclist, though the rider thankfully suffered only minor scratches. Waymo is at least still operating in the city, unlike rival outfit, Cruise, whose driverless permit was rescinded by the California DMV late last year following an incident in which a pedestrian was dragged under an autonomous Chevy Bolt.
Waymo Vehicle surrounded and then graffiti’d, windows were broken, and firework lit on fire inside the vehicle which ultimately caught the entire vehicle on fire. #SFFD
— SAN FRANCISCO FIRE DEPARTMENT MEDIA (@SFFDPIO) February 11, 2024
Photos by Séraphine Hossenlopp pic.twitter.com/aOTqL3Rk8V
happening NOW in SF. Waymo car vandalized & lit on fire 🤯@sfchronicle pic.twitter.com/OEZYFiy6mv
— Michael Vandi (@michael_vandi) February 11, 2024
Lead image credit: San Francisco Fire Department/Séraphine Hossenlopp