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EV drivers in San Diego have reported waiting for public fast chargers while Waymo robotaxis use the stations, with one driver telling the Los Angeles Times that cars arrive “in droves.” Waymo says it prioritizes its own charging hubs and tries to avoid crowding a single station; EVgo says its chargers are open to both private drivers and robotaxis. The scale and duration of the reported delays have not been established.
EV drivers in San Diego say Waymo robotaxis are occupying public fast-charging stalls and making it harder to find an open charger, according to a Los Angeles Times report cited by InsideEVs. Waymo says it prioritizes its own charging hubs and tries to avoid clustering vehicles at one public location, while charger operator EVgo says its San Diego stations serve both private drivers and robotaxis.
Some drivers told the Los Angeles Times they had to wait as long as an hour or travel to another charging location when Waymo vehicles were using public fast chargers. One driver described the cars arriving “in droves,” according to the report. Those accounts indicate a practical problem for drivers, but the source material does not provide station-by-station usage data or establish how often waits of that length occur.
Waymo told the newspaper it has staff at some public charging locations to assist its robotaxis and tries to prevent its vehicles from crowding one station. The company said its own charging hubs take priority. A spokesperson also said Waymo’s Jaguar I-Paces and Zeekr vans, including vehicles driven by humans during breaks, may use public chargers.
EVgo told the Los Angeles Times that its San Diego chargers are available to private EV drivers as well as robotaxis. The reporting does not say that Waymo violated station rules. Being allowed to use a charger, however, does not eliminate competition for a limited number of stalls when drivers arrive at the same time.
Public Chargers Face More Demand
The dispute shows how a commercial vehicle fleet can add demand to charging sites also used by individual drivers. When a station has few open stalls, several fleet vehicles charging at once may leave fewer options for people who depend on public fast charging, including drivers without access to home charging. The reported waits are drivers’ accounts, not a verified measure of the effect across San Diego.
For Waymo, access to reliable charging is part of operating a growing robotaxi service. The company’s stated preference for private hubs may reduce its reliance on public sites over time, but building facilities can take time in a new market. Until then, the balance between fleet operations and public access may remain a local concern at busy stations.
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Waymo’s Depot Strategy
Waymo is an Alphabet-owned autonomous-vehicle company, and the InsideEVs report says its service operates in 15 cities. The company uses dedicated depots for charging and vehicle maintenance, but its spokesperson said public stations can also be used. The report describes depot construction as a process that can take time as Waymo enters new markets.
The account also points to complaints in Nashville and St. Louis, where social media users have accused Waymo vehicles of taking up public charging stalls. These are separate reports and allegations; the supplied material does not independently verify their frequency or establish a nationwide pattern. Earlier complaints about noise from vehicles returning to depots concern a different issue.
““They come in droves.””
— An EV driver quoted by the Los Angeles Times
How Often Stalls Are Occupied
The available reporting does not establish how many Waymo vehicles use public chargers in San Diego, which stations are affected, or how often drivers face long waits. It also does not include charger occupancy records, company fleet-charging figures, or an independent estimate of how much Waymo use changes average wait times.
It remains unclear when Waymo’s private charging capacity in the city will be sufficient to reduce use of public stations. The source material also does not report any change to EVgo’s access rules or a formal restriction on robotaxis at the sites.
Whether Depot Capacity Expands
The next practical development to watch is whether Waymo adds or expands dedicated charging facilities in San Diego and whether its public-station use changes as those hubs become available. The company has said it prioritizes its own hubs, but the supplied reporting gives no schedule or capacity target for new facilities.
For now, EV drivers may continue to encounter robotaxis at public chargers that also serve private vehicles. More detailed station-use data or an update from Waymo or EVgo could clarify the scale of the issue; neither is included in the source material.
Key Questions
Are Waymo robotaxis allowed to use EVgo chargers in San Diego?
EVgo told the Los Angeles Times that its San Diego chargers are available to both private EV drivers and robotaxis. The reporting does not describe a rule barring Waymo vehicles.
How long have drivers reportedly waited?
Some drivers told the Los Angeles Times they waited up to an hour or went to another charging site. The report does not establish how common waits of that length are.
What has Waymo said about charging?
Waymo says it prioritizes its own charging hubs, tries to avoid crowding one public station, and has staff at some locations to assist its vehicles.
Is the same problem confirmed in other cities?
The InsideEVs report cites social media complaints about Waymo vehicles using public chargers in Nashville and St. Louis. Those posts are allegations and do not, by themselves, establish the scale or frequency of the issue.
Source: insideevs.com
