Some residents have resorted to blocking Waymo vehicles from entering the lots using cones, cars, and even themselves—a tactic locals call “stacking the Waymos,”

Tensions between Santa Monica residents and autonomous vehicle company Waymo have intensified as locals protest noise pollution from the company’s charging stations, prompting unconventional resistance and drawing city officials into the conflict.

Waymo, which operates a fleet of 56 driverless vehicles in the city, opened two charging stations at Euclid Street and Broadway in January 2025 after subleasing the lots from Palo Alto-based Voltera, according to the Los Angeles Times. The stations, permitted in June 2024, have since become a source of frustration for nearby residents due to incessant beeping from the vehicles, a sound

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