zzdcar
Home
/
Reviews
/
Automobile information
/
Waymo robotaxi attacked and set on fire in San Francisco
Waymo robotaxi attacked and set on fire in San Francisco-April 2024
2024-03-10 EDT 23:54:19

  A Waymo self-driving car was set upon by vandals in San Francisco on Saturday evening.

  According to footage and eyewitness reports of the incident, the attackers graffitied the car before smashing its windows and throwing fireworks inside. The vehicle then caught fire and burned before fire crews arrived to extinguish the blaze.

  Recommended Videos No passengers were in the Waymo vehicle when it was set upon, and no bystanders are thought to have been hurt in the incident.

  The fire department posted pictures of the remains of the autonomous Jaguar I-Pace car, adding that a firework started the blaze:

  Waymo Vehicle surrounded and then graffitid, windows were broken, and firework lit on fire inside the vehicle which ultimately caught the entire vehicle on fire. #SFFD

  Photos by Sraphine Hossenlopp pic.twitter.com/aOTqL3Rk8V

  SAN FRANCISCO FIRE DEPARTMENT MEDIA (@SFFDPIO) February 11, 2024

  Its not currently clear if a particular occurrence prompted the crowd to attack the car, or if the incident was preplanned in any way.

  Waymo told Digital Trends that it was working with local safety officials, adding that it would continue to operate its autonomous ridesharing service in the city.

  The company owned by Google parent Alphabet has been testing its autonomous cars on the streets of San Francisco for many years and more recently received permission to start charging passengers as part of a ridesharing trial service.

  Saturdays incident comes a week after a self-driving Waymo vehicle collided with a bicycle in San Francisco, causing minor injuries to the cyclist.

  It also follows a more serious incident in early October when an autonomous car operated by General Motors-backed Cruise came to a halt on top of a pedestrian just moments after shed been hit by a human-driven vehicle.

  California suspended Cruises permit to test autonomous cars in the city, which led to the company suspending its testing nationwide.

  Reports of occasional attacks on Waymo cars go back years, with vandals slashing their tires or throwing rocks at them. Road safety and job losses caused by a move toward autonomous systems are thought to have been behind some of the attacks, though its worth repeating that its not clear what prompted Saturdays attack.

Comments
Welcome to zzdcar comments! Please keep conversations courteous and on-topic. To fosterproductive and respectful conversations, you may see comments from our Community Managers.
Sign up to post
Sort by
Show More Comments
Automobile information
Audi Q8 (2019) Launch Review
Audi Q8 (2019) Launch Review
Audi has joined the Premium SUV Coupe craze with the Q8, which is now available in South Africa. It’s not short on rivals, so how does this model stack up? We sampled the newcomer during its media launch in the Western Cape. What is it? The SUV market appears to be...
Apr 3, 2025
Cars.co.za Wins Spirit of Amarok Media Challenge
Cars.co.za Wins Spirit of Amarok Media Challenge
Volkswagen Commercial Vehicles recently hosted the Spirit of Amarok Media Challenge in Nelspruit, Mpumalanga which put 30 of South Africa’s motoring media through their paces behind the wheel of an Amarok 3.0 TDI V6 in an effort to find the most competent 4×4 media pair in the country. In a...
Apr 3, 2025
Volkswagen Amarok on Steroids
Volkswagen Amarok on Steroids
A German tuner, Delta 4×4, has beefed up a Volkswagen Amarok and it looks quite impressive. Would you agree? The double-cab bakkie market is hotting up with the introduction of some striking product. Isuzu recently introduced the D-Max Arctic AT 35 in South Africa which is significantly wider (180...
Apr 3, 2025
BMW X2 (2019) M35i: Specs & Price
BMW X2 (2019) M35i: Specs & Price
The sportiest iteration of the compact BMW X2 has arrived in South Africa. Here's how much it costs. BMW South Africa has just announced the arrival of its sportiest version of the youthful X2. Called the BMW X2 35i, it'll be the fastest and most dynamic version of the...
Apr 3, 2025
10 Ways To Save Fuel
10 Ways To Save Fuel
The rising cost of fuel has a significant negative impact on the household budget and consumers have to find ways to make their money stretch further. One of the easiest ways to save money would be to use less fuel. By far the best (and easiest) way to do that would be to buy...
Apr 3, 2025
Aston Martin Vantage AMR Goes Manual
Aston Martin Vantage AMR Goes Manual
Aston Martin is doing its bit to save the manual by offering its latest Vantage AMR with a 7-speed manual transmission… In an announcement which should pique the interest of AMG followers, Aston Martin has confirmed that its Vantage range now has a limited-edition AMR derivative. Aston will only produce...
Apr 3, 2025
Copyright 2023-2025 - www.zzdcar.com All Rights Reserved