Waymo and Santa Monica Will Go To Court Over Public Nuisance Allegations

A nearly yearlong battle between Waymo, its driverless cars, and a city and its residents will drag on into 2026 after the two parties fail to reach a resolution over the noise the vehicles make while looking … backing into spaces for charging.

The city of Santa Monica and Waymo will go to court in the new year after failing to reach an agreement following competing lawsuits, the Los Angeles Times reported this week. The two parties filed suits over the use of a lot to charge the driverless battery-electric vehicles overnight due to repeated complaints over car lights, and the electronic shriek reversing Waymo vehicles emit, which both allegedly wake residents in nearby homes.

Waymo opened two facilities in a Santa Monica neighborhood in January to charge 50 of its vehicles that operate in the Greater Los Angeles area. But shortly thereafter, the site started to irritate people in nearby homes with apparent noise and flashing lights as the vehicles entered and exited. A petition was soon established, but Santa Monica officials in April told KTLA the jurisdiction over noise did not belong to the city, but to state agencies.

The Alphabet-owned company later said it would take steps to reduce noise from the vehicles and landscape the area, but by last month, the city ordered Waymo and Volterra, the charging company partner and operator, a cease and desist to stop vehicles from charging at the site between 11 p.m. and 6 a.m. 

Last week, Waymo and Santa Monica filed competing lawsuits, with Waymo claiming its vehicles “do not constitute a public nuisance.” And after failed exchanges between the parties, the case is headed to Los Angeles County Superior Court sometime in 2026.

Waymo has had a significant 2025 that included launching in cities such as L.A., Phoenix and Atlanta, and staving off new rivals in the robotaxi race, including Tesla. It also gained approval to expand to cities outside of Los Angeles, and began testing in New York City. But it closes the year with not only the suit with Santa Monica getting dragged out, but a massive public relations disaster during a citywide power outage in San Francisco, forcing the company on Tuesday to issue a we’ll-try-to-do-better statement on the issue.