


Google robotaxi subsidiary Waymo issued a recall Thursday on 672 autonomous taxis after one of its vehicles collided with a utility pole.
The crash occurred last month in Phoenix, one of the three cities where Waymo offers automated taxi rides. The firm said the vehicle, with no passengers in it, was trying a low-speed pullover maneuver when it struck the pole.
The recall is for mapping and sensory updates that, according to Waymo, will help its robotaxis detect permanent polelike objects. The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration said Waymo’s vehicles had trouble with stationary objects before the Thursday recall.
Earlier this week, the NHTSA reported that it sought further information about Waymo collisions with stationary objects.
This week’s recall comes a month after the NHTSA opened an investigation into Waymo following 22 reports of the company’s vehicles exhibiting dangerous driving behavior. The regulator has also opened investigations into self-driving taxi companies Cruise and Zoox, which both run smaller operations.
The Arizona collision happened one month before Waymo announced it was nearly doubling its reach in Phoenix. The company had issued a recall of 444 Waymo taxis in February after two straight collisions in the city’s area.
• Vaughn Cockayne can be reached at vcockayne@washingtontimes.com.