The motive behind the attack is unclear, but autonomous car companies have faced increased scrutiny since their introduction in San Francisco. Waymo, owned by Alphabet, began testing driverless taxis in 2022, but has faced issues, including blocking public transport and almost running over a fire hose. Despite these issues, driverless taxi companies were allowed to expand their services in the city in August, leading to a series of accidents and traffic jams.
Key takeaways:
- A Waymo robotaxi was set on fire by a crowd in San Francisco, reducing the vehicle to an ashen shell.
- The motive for the attack is unclear, but there is ongoing mistrust of driverless technology in the city.
- There have been multiple accidents and issues since the city approved the expansion of robotaxi services, including a Waymo taxi almost running over a fire hose.
- Waymo, owned by Alphabet, maintains that its autonomous vehicles are significantly safer than those driven by humans, citing a 2023 study.