TechCrunch Mobility: A robotaxi ultimatum — Waymo vehicles stranded and towed after July 4 gridlock

What happened

TechCrunch Mobility reported on July 12, 2026, that multiple Waymo robotaxis ran out of battery and required towing during the massive July 4 traffic gridlock caused by San Francisco fireworks. City supervisor Bilal Mahmood announced a formal letter of inquiry.

Context and impact

The incident reignited debate about whether autonomous vehicle companies have solved sufficient edge cases for large-scale urban deployment. Immobile robotaxis blocked additional traffic and strained emergency services. The episode is part of a series complicating Waymo's regulatory expansion to additional US cities.

Details

• Location: San Francisco, night of July 4, 2026 (fireworks event)
• Incident: Waymo vehicles drained batteries in gridlock and became immobile
• Consequence: blocked additional traffic, vehicles required towing
• Response: Supervisor Bilal Mahmood — formal inquiry letter
• Question: handling predictable extreme scenarios (mass events + congestion)
• Context: Waymo has pending regulatory permits for Atlanta, Austin, Miami expansion