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EV drivers in San Diego say Waymo robotaxis have occupied public fast-charging stalls, forcing some motorists to wait or find another location. Waymo told the Los Angeles Times it prioritizes its own charging hubs and tries to prevent vehicles from crowding one station; EVgo said its chargers are open to both private drivers and robotaxis. The extent and frequency of the reported congestion are not established.
EV drivers in San Diego say Waymo robotaxis have occupied public fast-charging stalls, leaving some motorists waiting as long as an hour or looking for another charger, according to reporting by the Los Angeles Times. Waymo said it prioritizes its own charging hubs and tries to avoid crowding stations, while the episode highlights competition for public charging access as the company expands its fleet.
One driver told the Los Angeles Times that Waymo vehicles arrive at chargers “in droves.” The report describes some drivers encountering several robotaxis at public fast-charging sites in San Diego. The account of waits of up to an hour comes from drivers’ reports; the source material does not provide charger-by-charger records or an independent count of affected visits.
Waymo told the newspaper that it has staff at some public charging locations to assist its robotaxis and that it tries to keep vehicles from crowding one station. A company spokesperson said that its Jaguar I-Paces and Zeekr vans, including vehicles sometimes driven by people during breaks, may also use public chargers. Waymo said it gives priority to charging at its own hubs.
EVgo told the Los Angeles Times that its San Diego chargers are available to both private EV drivers and robotaxis. The report does not say that Waymo violated a charging-site rule. The issue described is the practical effect of multiple vehicles drawing on public stalls, not a confirmed dispute over whether Waymo is permitted to use them.
Public Chargers Face Fleet Demand
Public fast chargers serve drivers who may have few convenient alternatives, particularly when they need a quick charge to continue a trip. If a fleet uses several stalls at once, other motorists can face longer waits even when every vehicle is using the site within its rules. That can make charging access feel less dependable for drivers who rely on public networks.
The concern could grow as robotaxi services expand into additional cities. Waymo’s use of its own depots may limit pressure on public sites, but those facilities take time to establish in new markets, according to the report. The San Diego accounts show a potential operational conflict between commercial fleets and individual drivers; they do not establish how widespread the problem is.
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Expansion Meets Depot Limits
The report says Waymo serves riders in 15 cities as it expands across the United States. The company operates dedicated facilities for vehicle maintenance and charging, but may use public fast chargers while establishing operations in a new market. Waymo says its own hubs remain the priority.
Complaints about robotaxis occupying chargers have also appeared in social media posts from drivers in Nashville and St. Louis, according to the source report. Those posts are allegations, not a verified measure of charger use or delays in either city. Earlier complaints about Waymo vehicles in Santa Monica and San Francisco concerned parking-sensor noise or honking near depots, rather than access to fast chargers.
The immediate question in San Diego is how often the reported congestion occurs and whether it is concentrated at particular sites or times. The source material provides no fleet charging data, station occupancy totals, or response from local officials.
““They come in droves.””
— An EV driver quoted by the Los Angeles Times
Scale of San Diego Delays
The source material does not establish how many Waymo vehicles used public chargers, how often multiple stalls were occupied, or how many drivers experienced long waits. The reports of waits of up to an hour are attributed to drivers, and no independent station data is provided.
It is also unclear whether the complaints reflect a temporary gap while Waymo builds out its own facilities, a recurring pattern at specific sites, or broader pressure on San Diego’s fast-charging network. Neither the report nor the company response gives a timetable for additional Waymo charging capacity or details of any coordination with charging operators.
More Depot Capacity Ahead
The report provides no announced deadline for Waymo to open additional charging hubs in San Diego or change how its fleet uses public chargers. The company’s stated priority remains its own facilities, while it says it works to avoid crowding individual public locations.
Further clarity would depend on whether Waymo or charging operators release site-level usage information, and whether drivers continue reporting delays. Until then, the confirmed picture is limited: public chargers are open to both private motorists and robotaxis, Waymo says it prioritizes its own hubs, and some San Diego drivers say they have had trouble finding an available stall.
Key Questions
Are Waymo robotaxis allowed to use public chargers in San Diego?
EVgo told the Los Angeles Times that its San Diego chargers are available to private EV drivers and robotaxis. The source report does not identify a rule barring Waymo from using them.
How long have drivers said they waited?
Some drivers told the Los Angeles Times they waited up to an hour or went to another charging location. The source material does not independently verify those waits or say how often they occurred.
What has Waymo said about charging its vehicles?
Waymo said it prioritizes its own charging hubs, has staff at some public charging locations, and tries to avoid having its vehicles crowd one station.
Is this a confirmed problem in other cities?
The source report cites social media complaints from Nashville and St. Louis, but those accounts are not a verified measure of charger congestion. It does not establish the scale of any issue outside San Diego.
Source: insideevs.com
