Victory for fed-up California beach town locals who were being kept awake all night by noisy Waymo charging station
Residents in Santa Monica, California, have won a court battle against Waymo after complaining that the tech firm's driverless taxi charging depots kept them awake with round-the-clock beeping and humming. A Santa Monica judge granted a preliminary injunction barring Waymo from operating two charging stations overnight, marking a victory for locals who had endured months of noise disturbance from the autonomous vehicle facilities near their homes and a private school.
The depots, located on Broadway, began operating in January 2025, running driverless vehicles through nearby alleys and carrying out night-time charging and cleaning that generated constant noise. Complaints started reaching Santa Monica's Department of Transportation from February 2025, citing disruption to sleep and traffic concerns, and residents eventually pursued legal action that resulted in the injunction halting overnight use of the two sites.
- Santa Monica residents complained of noise from Waymo charging depots on Broadway.
- A judge issued an injunction banning overnight operations at two sites.
- Complaints began in February 2025 over beeping, humming and driverless vehicle noise.
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