Waymo robotaxis – Waymo said that during San Francisco’s July 4 celebrations, severe gridlock and unplanned road closures—including after Golden Gate Bridge fireworks—disrupted some of its robotaxis, leaving some stuck and others forced to be towed after running out of charge w
A Waymo robotaxi’s night in San Francisco didn’t end on the road—it ended on a tow truck.
On Saturday night. several San Francisco residents posted footage showing Waymo vehicles malfunctioning. stalling. or being towed amid the chaos of Fourth of July celebrations. One post on X. from a user who goes by Marco Gutierrez. captured a vehicle being hauled away and said. “We’re being told it could take 3-4 hours to tow the disabled vehicles before traffic can move again.”.
The disruption wasn’t limited to slow-moving traffic. Other posts showed stalled cars and jams, and one instance depicted a Waymo driving straight through an erupting box of fireworks.
Waymo spokesperson Chris Bonelli said the root cause was straightforward: severe traffic congestion disrupted normal operations for some of the company’s cars. “In coordination with local authorities and emergency services. our roadside assistance team worked quickly to clear our vehicles from the area. ” Bonelli said. “Our team is always evaluating ways to strengthen Waymo’s resilience in major traffic disruptions.”.
The company said northern San Francisco saw major traffic congestion during Saturday’s celebrations and also unplanned road closures after the Golden Gate Bridge fireworks. Waymo said some vehicles became stuck in gridlock, while others were able to drive away once congestion cleared. Some of the stuck vehicles ran out of charge while idling and had to be towed.
Waymo added that its roadside assistance team handled towing logistics, that no injuries were reported, and that the vehicles were operating fully autonomously.
Under the hood, Waymo’s autonomous navigation depends on a multi-sensor system: 29 cameras, five lidars, and six radars, designed to give its AI drivers different ways to perceive their environment. The Alphabet company has deployed about 2,500 robotaxis across multiple US cities.
The episode puts a spotlight on a problem that can overwhelm even the most sophisticated systems: when a city gridlocks, cars don’t just need to see the road—they need time, space, and the ability to manage power and positioning while traffic stalls around them.
Waymo robotaxis San Francisco July 4 gridlock Golden Gate Bridge fireworks towing idling charge autonomous driving Alphabet