Waymo restarts robotaxi service in San Antonio after flooding

Waymo has restarted its robotaxi service in San Antonio, Texas, five months after one of its vehicles was swept away during a flash flood.

Multiple Waymo robotaxis became stuck during heavy flooding in April. The vehicles slowed but did not stop as they approached streets covered by floodwater. Waymo issued a recall in May and restricted its robotaxis from driving in areas with an elevated risk of flooding.

Waymo briefly paused operations around the same time in other Texas cities, but those services have since resumed. The company now offers paid rides in 15 U.S. cities.

The resumed San Antonio service will use dozens of vehicles across a 60-mile area that includes downtown and San Antonio International Airport, according to the San Antonio Express-News, which first reported that Waymo was restarting the service.

Waymo told the newspaper that it had changed its software to help the robotaxis better detect and avoid standing water in the future.