Protests against immigrant enforcement have intensified in Los Angeles (LA), and the autonomous taxi brand Waymo, a subsidiary of Google's parent company Alphabet, has become a target. Analysis suggests this is a result of residents' complaints about vehicle noise combined with negative perceptions surrounding autonomous vehicles.
According to multiple foreign media outlets, including The New York Times (NYT), the protests in LA, California, surrounding the Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) agency's crackdown and deportation of illegal immigrants have continued daily, and Waymo's autonomous taxis have emerged as a primary target of protestors. The protestors have summoned Waymo taxis to the protest site, defaced the vehicles with graffiti, and engaged in arson, effectively paralyzing traffic, with related videos spreading in real-time on social media (SNS).
The background of Waymo vehicles becoming targets for protestors is rooted in accumulated grievances from LA residents. According to The Wall Street Journal (WSJ), before the protests, Waymo's autonomous vehicles were already a nuisance to local residents due to excessive noise. Waymo vehicles repeatedly produce noise while reversing, leading residents to file numerous complaints. In one parking lot, multiple vehicles honked simultaneously, causing inconvenience. As a response, one resident in Santa Monica was captured installing traffic cones nearby to prevent Waymo vehicles from accessing a charging station.
The perception that autonomous taxis not only surveil people but also take away blue-collar jobs that immigrants occupy has also been interpreted as inflaming the protestors' sentiments. Waymo vehicles are equipped with dozens of cameras and radar sensors to analyze information about pedestrians, vehicles, and buildings in real-time. Last month, footage from Waymo vehicles was utilized in a hit-and-run investigation. Local IT media outlet The Verge noted, "The fact that people feel alienated by the technological revolution that seeks to replace humans with robots was revealed during this protest."
Additionally, because the vehicles are driverless taxis, it is easy for them to be summoned to locations difficult for human drivers to access, and the ease of setting fire to vehicles without causing human casualties has also aligned with the protestors' intentions, according to the WSJ.
However, some express concerns that the risks associated with the destruction of Waymo vehicles could increase, as the fire hazard of electric vehicles (EVs) is significantly higher than that of conventional vehicles. Waymo vehicles are equipped with lithium-ion batteries that can generate oxygen during combustion, potentially reigniting within days and releasing toxic smoke, posing a significant environmental threat.
Due to these protests, Waymo is expected to suffer significant damages. The Waymo vehicles, which are Jaguar I-PACE electric SUV models, have an estimated manufacturing cost of about $150,000 to $200,000 (approximately 200 million to 270 million won) per vehicle. The total number of vehicles operating in the LA area is around 300.
As the damage continues, Waymo has taken exceptional measures, such as temporarily suspending taxi services in the protest areas. On the same day, Waymo stated, "We are currently limiting services to prevent Waymo vehicles from moving into certain areas, such as downtown LA," adding, "Our services are operating normally elsewhere in LA." According to the Waymo app, taxi operations have been suspended as far as several miles from the protest site, including the University of Southern California (USC) and the Crypto.com Arena, with potential expansions of restricted areas not being ruled out.
However, Waymo insists that the autonomous taxis were merely present at the protest site by coincidence and that the protestors did not intentionally damage the vehicles. According to the WSJ, Waymo has not provided a detailed stance on the extent of the damages.