Even as San Diego has expanded its network of public EV chargers, one driver has been considering returning to a gas-powered car due to increased competition for chargers fueled by an unexpected culprit: Waymo robotaxis.
Drivers complained that they have been left to wait 30 minutes to an hour while multiple Waymo robotaxis recharge on the limited number of available chargers. The situation has led to growing frustration among drivers who rely on shared charging stations.
Here's what to know
Following months of testing, Waymo began official service in San Diego in September, according to the Los Angeles Times. Ever since, residents have argued that the company's vehicles were occupying scarce charging spaces, raising questions about how commercial robotaxi fleets should share infrastructure with everyday drivers.
Finn Sadler, 24, said the inconvenience has been so bad that he would consider switching from an EV back to gasoline if fuel prices were lower.
"They come in droves," he said of the robotaxis arriving at chargers, per the Times.
The situation served as a reminder that, when it comes to charging stations, public access does not necessarily mean public ownership, as the charging stations drawing complaints were all privately owned.
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Electrify America, which has operated 13 San Diego stations and over 300 statewide, reported that it has no formal arrangement with Waymo, according to the L.A. Times.
A spokesperson for EVgo said its San Diego public sites welcome all drivers, including autonomous vehicles. According to the Times, EVgo has collaborated with autonomous-vehicle operators since 2020 and has run facilities for those partners in Los Angeles and San Francisco. Overall, the company had set aside 120 charging stalls for autonomous-vehicle businesses.
More background
Sean Elo-Rivera, a San Diego councilmember, said drivers who cannot charge at home, whether because of cost or logistics, are "competing with robots that can hover," according to the Times.
Taking up too much space at charging stations has been only one of the complaints that local residents have leveled against Waymo robotaxis. In Santa Monica, complaints about noise from Waymo charging lots prompted the City Council to order the charging provider serving Waymo to halt overnight operations, the Times reported.
What's being done?
For its part, Waymo said it has stationed people at some public chargers to plug in its vehicles and that it has tried to prevent its cars from bunching up.
"As our operations in a city mature, we establish our own charging infrastructure and prioritize using dedicated charging," a Waymo spokesperson said, as quoted by the Times. "If a vehicle is being driven or supervised by a human specialist, they might also choose to charge on the road while taking their break."
On September 14, San Diego's City Council unanimously passed a resolution asking Gavin Newsom, the California governor, and state legislators to expand municipal authority over autonomous-vehicle deployment and monitoring. The resolution also asked that charging hubs be located away from residences, schools, and public safety sites.
Meanwhile, a San Diego spokesperson said the city plans to add chargers at more than 50 sites through an 18-month expansion effort. The city has also been upgrading current public stations and installing additional chargers at libraries and recreation centers, according to the Los Angeles Times.
The San Diego spokesperson said the work was independent of Waymo's expansion plans. However, autonomous vehicles would remain eligible to use public stations and pay the same fees as other drivers.
Meanwhile, Waymo's use of the shared charging spaces has changed some drivers' opinions of the company.
"It becomes really annoying when you see three Waymos in a charging station with four spots," said José Manjarrés, a San Diego resident and driver of a Ford Mustang Mach-E, per the Times. "It creates some kind of antagonistic posture against the product."
Where can I learn more?
San Diego hasn't been the only place where EV drivers face public charging headaches.
• California drivers weighed $3,500 EV discounts against broken chargers and outages, plus scarce mechanics.
• A Los Angeles renter considering public charging alone heard from owners recommending multiple apps.
• EV drivers still juggled charging stops and navigation apps when planning their road trips.
• U.S. fast-charging ports passed 80,000 as sites grew larger and Tesla prices climbed.
• Tesla Cybercab rides in Texas featured odd stops and jittery driving alongside futuristic technology.
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