Self-Driving Taxis Steer Clear Of LA Migrant Riots
Waymo’s driverless taxis vanished from downtown Los Angeles on Monday after rioters torched several of the electric cars during weekend riots over federal immigration raids. The Google-owned taxi service pulled its…
Waymo’s driverless taxis vanished from downtown Los Angeles on Monday after rioters torched several of the electric cars during weekend riots over federal immigration raids.
The Google-owned taxi service pulled its fleet from the city center Monday, citing safety concerns after anti-ICE rioters reportedly smashed, spray-painted and set at least half a dozen vehicles ablaze. Viral photos showed assailants posing with Mexican flags atop burning vehicles as chaos consumed the streets.
“Out of an abundance of caution given the recent activity, we removed vehicles from Downtown Los Angeles and will not be serving that specific area of LA at the moment,” a Waymo spokesperson told the Daily Caller News Foundation. “We’re operating in other parts of LA, just not Downtown at the moment.”
Waymo driverless vehicles run on lithium-ion batteries. According to the company, a battery involved in a fire or exposed to high heat levels will release toxic vapors, including sulfuric acid, oxides of carbon, nickel, lithium, copper, and cobalt. Our brave new world of… pic.twitter.com/btQJAPMRdy
— Jim Geraghty (@jimgeraghty) June 9, 2025
Each destroyed Waymo represents a significant financial loss, with the electric Jaguar I-Pace vehicles equipped with radar, lidar and computer systems worth between $150,000 to $200,000, according