The image of burning Waymo driverless cars is becoming synonymous with the June 2025 Los Angeles protests. So, how did Waymo cars get to the scene of the protest in the first place and why were the vehicles being targeted?
A Waymo spokesperson confirmed to USA TODAY on June 9 that the company temporarily suspended its services in downtown Los Angeles “out of an abundance of caution.” Here’s how protestors used Waymo vehicles in the midst of a controversy over immigration enforcement that’s left the country reeling.
What are Waymo cars?
Waymo is a company under the Alphabet (Google) umbrella that is developing driverless vehicle technology using cameras, radar and lidar sensors, and advanced computer systems. It launched a driverless ride-hailing service in several major cities.
Kids chasing dogs, chasing balls on the streets of LA… once again, @Waymo AI with advanced sensing making our roads safer. pic.twitter.com/QGZxDtuKaU
— Dmitri Dolgov (@dmitri_dolgov) June 4, 2025
A Waymo car is a vehicle owned by the company and equipped with technology that is capable of self-driving. Passengers can summon Waymo vehicles to their location and ride in the vehicles to their intended destination without interacting with a driver.
Where does Waymo operate?
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Phoenix, Arizona
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San Francisco, California
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Los Angeles, California
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Austin, Texas
The self-driving ride hailing service will soon be available in Atlanta, Georgia and Miami, Florida, as well, according to the company website. It has been tested in over 15 American states.
Waymo driverless cars targeted by protestors in downtown Los Angeles
A YouTube video by Wall Street Journal News shows protestors swarming a burning Waymo driverless car that is ablaze. The vehicle is covered in anti-ICE slogans. A masked person is seen smashing the vehicle with a hammer.
The vehicles were summoned to the scene, according to the Wall Street Journal News video above. Waymo disputes this, saying that the vehicles were present at the scene of the protests, not summoned with the intention of being set on fire. Their unique powertrain systems (motors and batteries) cause them to burn even hotter than internal combustion engine vehicles. Furthermore, EV batteries can easily overheat and ignite cars in extreme heat.
Electric vehicle fires can be more difficult to put out than internal combustion engine vehicle fires. Lithium-ion batteries experience “thermal runway, a chemical process that isn’t as easily extinguished as a gasoline fire in part because it doesn’t require oxygen” according to MotorTrend.
So, setting the Waymo driverless EVs on fire created an extremely burdensome situation for local authorities.
“I think protests need to be peaceful period, and anytime it deteriorates into violence that is a problem and it absolutely messes with the overall message,” Los Angeles Mayor Karen Bass said during a press interview.
How many Waymo cars were burned in Los Angeles during protests?
At least five Waymo Jaguar I-Pace vehicles were destroyed during the Los Angeles protests. A new Jaguar I-Pace starts at a whopping $72,500. So, the total cost of the destroyed Waymo driverless vehicles could exceed $362,500 before accounting for the price of Waymo’s autonomous driving technology like radar and lidar sensors.
Waymo’s self-driving technology could add $100,000 to the cost of a Jaguar I-Pace due to the price of multiple sensors, cameras, and advanced autonomous driving systems, according to Slate Magazine. If this estimate is accurate, the total damages to the vehicles could be close to $862,500.
Why the Los Angeles Waymo car fires were so dangerous
Lithium-ion battery fires weren’t the only risk to Americans during the Los Angeles protests of 2025. hydrogen fluoride, a toxic and corrosive chemical compound, was also expelled from the burning Waymo driverless cars, said Scientific American. This chemical compound could cause a person to cough up blood in mere minutes.
Inhaling high concentrations of hydrogen fluoride can be fatal, so the burning Waymo vehicles presented a deadly risk to those nearby. First responders to lithium-ion battery fires can develop breathing difficulties and throat burns while trying to extinguish the flames.
Ultimately, the events that took place on June 8 have sparked a nationwide conversation involving the current administration’s immigration policies, the protests, and the federal government’s reaction to the protests.
This article originally appeared on USA TODAY: Why were Waymo cars targeted during Los Angeles protests? What to know
