Waymo was called on to suspend its robotaxi service – at least partially – after its vehicles were deliberately targeted in the Los Angeles riots over the weekend.
Several driverless Jaguar I-Pace electric robotaxis from Waymo – worth around US$100,000 (A$153,000) – ended up being graffitied and set on fire during clashes between authorities and protesters in the Californian capital.
It’s alleged that users of Waymo, owned by Google parent company Alphabet, deliberately ordered vehicles from the transport service with the sole intention of damaging them as part of protests in the US city.
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The company could not confirm if this was the case, as reported by the New York Times, which published a statement from Waymo saying its vehicles were simply “in the wrong place at the wrong time”.
Images posted to various social media platforms from the weekend showed protesters standing on top of a Waymo I-Pace waving a Mexican flag, with the vehicle covered in graffiti and several others nearby billowing smoke and flames.
After being asked to shut down the app to prevent further attacks, the company said on Monday it was limiting services based on the protests.
“We’re aware of potential protests and will not be providing service in the areas protesters may be gathering out of an abundance of caution,” a Waymo spokesperson said in a statement.
Services were first suspended on Sunday evening, according to the NYT as the company worked with the Los Angeles Police Department (LAPD) to limit damage to vehicles.
The company said in May it was providing more than 250,000 driverless rides in Los Angeles, San Francisco, Phoenix and Austin.
Texas is the state in which Tesla CEO Elon Musk – who previously played a prominent role in US President Donald Trump’s administration – said the US automaker would introduce its first robotaxi service later this month.