Surprise Arrival: Baby Born in Waymo Driverless Car in San Francisco

Earlier this week in San Francisco, a rather unique birth took place unexpectedly in the confines of a Waymo autonomous vehicle, according to the company's confirmation.

On Monday, a Waymo robotaxi completed its journey with a highly unexpected additional traveler. A woman, who was in labor, ended up delivering her baby in the vehicle’s backseat while en route to the hospital.

In a light-hearted comment, Waymo noted, "It seems some new riders are just too eager for their inaugural Waymo experience."

The event came to light through The San Francisco Standard, after being shared by a representative of the Google-supported autonomous car company. The representative mentioned that Waymo's remote team detected 'unusual actions' happening inside the car's back area.

Upon recognizing the situation, staff members contacted emergency services. Nonetheless, the autonomous taxi succeeded in reaching the hospital without external help, post which it was removed from operations for thorough cleaning.

This occurrence isn’t unprecedented; Waymo confirmed to The San Francisco Standard about a previous similar incident in Phoenix.

Waymo's Rapid Development

Waymo has experienced significant growth this year, establishing its driverless cars as a common presence in San Francisco, while also branching out into new areas such as Austin and Atlanta.

Midweek, Waymo reported they had delivered over 14 million rides thus far in the current year and anticipated reaching a target of one million weekly rides by the conclusion of 2025.

However, the journey hasn’t been devoid of challenges. Just last month, Waymo updated software in 3,067 of its vehicles following feedback that some cars were illegally passing stopped school buses, as per a regulatory submission.

Looking ahead, Waymo is eyeing a significant scale-up next year amidst emerging competition from Tesla's newly initiated robotaxi venture, which debuted in Austin in June.

In 2026, the autonomous taxi enterprise plans to broaden its reach to include Miami, Washington, D.C., and many more cities, by making its driverless service available to the general public.