Waymo cars stranded on San Francisco streets as Fourth of July gridlock drains batteries

Key Points:

• Several Waymo autonomous vehicles ran out of battery and had to be towed after getting stuck in heavy San Francisco traffic following Fourth of July fireworks celebrations.
• Videos showed numerous stationary Waymo Jaguar I-PACE models lined up on streets and intersections, with some vehicles being cleared by roadside assistance teams amid major traffic disruptions and unplanned road closures.
• One Waymo vehicle caught fire after driving over fireworks, but no injuries were reported; passengers described confusion and frustration during the standstill, including a vehicle continuing to drive near fireworks.
• San Francisco officials, including Mayor Daniel Lurie, acknowledged the severe post-fireworks congestion and pledged to work with stakeholders to improve traffic management and the autonomous vehicle experience in future events.
• Waymo is evaluating ways to enhance its vehicles' resilience to major traffic disruptions after this incident, following a previous service pause in December due to an electricity outage affecting traffic signals.