Now electric, driverless vehicles have been summoned to protest scenes via the Waymo app. The resulting EV fires burn hotter than traditional car fires and are potentially more hazardous. The autonomous robot taxis owned by Google parent company Alphabet were tagged with protest slogans and profanity—and set on fire—as a way to disrupt traffic over the weekend and demonstrate against the widespread roundup of migrants by Immigration and Customs Enforcement officers.

Protesters smashed the windows of multiple Waymo robot taxis and then set them on fire. The police warned of toxic fumes released by burning lithium-ion batteries.

Waymo's autonomous vehicles have become part of the everyday landscape in a growing number of US cities, serving as safe transport options, tourist attractions, and symbols of a not-so-distant future. Their market dominance, however, is far from guaranteed.

Waymo, the company known for its driverless ride-hail service, will have some of its vehicles on Dallas roads in the coming weeks.

The self-driving taxi company also said its vehicles were in the wrong place at the wrong time in Los Angeles after protesters set fire to several of the cars there.

As the cyclist attempted to avoid one car’s open door, a second Waymo car reportedly crossed into the bike lane.

On Sunday, June 8, in Los Angeles, several Waymo autonomous taxis were set ablaze during protests against ICE raids in the city. According to the Los Angeles Times, protesters who had converged on downtown L.

The self-driving taxis are an experience to remember but their post LA-riot nerves rendered them unable to use human logic, and left us stranded.