Several Waymo driverless vehicles required towing after their batteries died amidst heavy traffic in San Francisco during the Fourth of July celebrations. Videos verified by NBC News highlighted at least a dozen stationary Waymo cars, predominantly Jaguar I-PACE models, stranded following the city’s fireworks display near the Golden Gate Bridge.

Another clip showed Waymo cars stuck at an overcrowded intersection. One car was even seen on a flatbed truck. Waymo acknowledged the heavy traffic arising from the celebrations, citing major disruptions and unplanned road closures which led to unexpected congestion.

A company spokesperson stated, “Major traffic disruptions, a high volume of travelers, and unplanned road closures contributed to unexpected congestion.”

They added that their roadside assistance teams managed the situation, and Waymo is considering improvements to handle such major traffic disruptions more effectively.

Passenger Rose Peterson informed NBC Bay Area about an incident where her Waymo car tried to navigate amidst street-level fireworks. She reported, “We were pulling up to a four-way stop and this guy was shooting off a firework in the middle of the road, and then our Waymo starts driving, and we’re like, ‘Wait, what’s happening?’” Thankfully, no one was injured.

Another witness, Dave Guingona, described being stuck in traffic for nearly two hours until Waymo cars were removed. Guingona observed people leaving their vehicles, frustrated by the driverless cars.

One Waymo vehicle encountered further issues when it ignited after driving over fireworks set off by someone. No injuries were reported.

Waymo briefly halted its San Francisco services last December due to a power outage affecting over 100,000 customers, disrupting traffic lights and causing some of its vehicles to stop at intersections. Despite these incidents, Mayor Daniel Lurie has been a proponent of autonomous vehicles, praising them as “safe and sustainable.”

On the night of the incident, Mayor Lurie addressed the city in a video, acknowledging the heavy post-fireworks traffic and urging patience: “Fog and fireworks, we did it the San Francisco way. It’s going to take a while for these clogged streets to empty out. Give each other some grace as we clear out San Francisco.”

The city’s Department of Emergency Management also warned about heavy traffic and packed transit systems after the fireworks, advising residents to delay their return where possible.

Lurie’s press secretary, Charles Lutvak, mentioned plans for discussions with stakeholders about these traffic events, mentioning, “We understand that with more than 100,000 people in the area, some people experienced delays getting home, and we will have conversations with our public and private partners to ensure the experience is smoother next time.”