Waymo, Santa Monica Sue Each Other Over Charging Stations

Waymo, the Bay Area-based autonomous vehicle company and the city of Santa Monica, California are suing each other over the overnight use of charging stations for Waymo cars.

Santa Monica has asked a judge to order Waymo not to use charging stations operated by Voltera from 11 p.m. to 6 a.m., or to take other measures to be less of a nuisance, after residents complained that noise and light from recharging made the town like a "mini-Las Vegas" or "living next door to a spaceship," KABC-TV reports.

In their suit against the city, meanwhile, Waymo - a subsidiary of Google's parent company Alphabet, seeks relief to prevent city officials from interfering with the company's charging operations along Santa Monica's Broadway. 

"Waymo has demonstrated a consistent commitment to being a good neighbor, including by consulting with regulators to mitigate noise concerns … the City has been unwilling to authorize simple improvements to respond to neighbors’ feedback … Waymo and Voltera remain in full compliance with all local requirements and will continue our operations accordingly," a Waymo spokesperson told the outlet.

City officials released their own statement explaining that they filed suit because Waymo did not agree to changes in operations for the charging stations that would not have involved shutting them down.

"This is not about opposing Waymo or EV charging. It is about enforcing long-standing nuisance laws that apply to every business when operations substantially interfere with public health, safety, and quality of life," officials told the outlet.