According to media reports, Waymo has issued a software recall for all 672 Jaguar I-Pace self-driving taxis after one of its autonomous vehicles collided with a utility pole during operation. This is Waymo's second recall, with the previous one occurring in February this year when two Waymo self-driving taxis collided with a towed pickup truck.
The incident that prompted the second recall happened on May 21, when a Waymo self-driving car in Phoenix, operating without a safety driver, collided with a utility pole in an alley. Local reports indicate that the Waymo vehicle was on its way to pick up a passenger, driving through an alley lined with wooden utility poles, flush with the road and marked by yellow lines. The Waymo car was slowing down to park but collided with the pole at a speed of 8 mph. The passenger, who was waiting for the Waymo ride, stated that it was her first time using Waymo, but the vehicle never arrived to pick her up.
Following the accident, the Waymo self-driving taxi sustained some damage, but no passengers or pedestrians were injured. According to Waymo spokesperson Katherine Barna, the company immediately began working on the issue after the incident and determined that, in certain situations, the vehicle lacked sufficient capability to avoid collisions with some permanent objects on narrow, drivable roads. Consequently, Waymo implemented mapping and software updates to address this problem.
The Verge first reported this incident after Waymo took recall measures to address the software issues in its autonomous taxis, highlighting Waymo's proactive approach under increasing scrutiny from regulators and the public. The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) is currently investigating Waymo's self-driving car software, having received 31 reports of Waymo autonomous taxi crashes or potential traffic safety law violations.
In a letter dated June 11, NHTSA issued a detailed information request to Waymo, requiring the company to submit the necessary documents and information by August 6, including all additional documents related to fault reports of its autonomous driving system, all complaints received from passengers using self-driving taxis, and test reports and solutions used by Waymo to address issues with its autonomous driving system. The letter also demands comprehensive details of all trips made by Waymo's autonomous vehicles on public roads.
This investigation into Waymo comes at a critical time as the company is significantly expanding its robotaxi service. In March, California regulators approved Waymo's expansion of its driverless commercial service to most of the San Francisco Peninsula and the Los Angeles metro area. Waymo also plans to begin offering services in Austin, Texas, this summer.
Since December 2018, Waymo has been operating its autonomous taxi service in the Phoenix metro area, and last summer, Waymo began offering services in San Francisco.
