San Francisco woman gives birth in a Waymo robotaxi as it reports 'unusual activity'
Published on Dec 15, 2025 at 11:38 AM (UTC+4)
by Claire Reid
Last updated on Dec 15, 2025 at 11:38 AM (UTC+4)
Edited by
Kate Bain
A Waymo in San Francisco recently picked up on some ‘unusual activity’, which turned out to be a woman giving birth inside the robotaxi.
It’s been a big year for the autonomous taxi company.
Throughout 2025, it rolled out its service to more cities in the US and expanded the area it covers in existing ones.
Now, the robotaxi company can add ‘operated as an impromptu delivery suite’ to its list of accolades for the year, after a female rider recently gave birth while on the road.
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The woman was on the way to the hospital in the Waymo
The passenger ordered the Waymo to go to the University of California, San Francisco Hospital on Monday, December 8.
During the journey, the Waymo support team noticed some unusual activity inside the robotaxi and contacted 911 to check on her.
But before they had a chance to arrive at the scene, the woman had given birth in the back seat and arrived safely at the hospital with her newborn.
A spokesperson from the University of California, San Francisco Hospital confirmed to NBC News that the mother and baby had arrived at the hospital on Monday night, but declined to share any more details.
“We’re proud to be a trusted ride for moments big and small, serving riders from just seconds old to many years young,” a Waymo spokesperson said.
“We wish the new family all the best, and we look forward to safely getting them where they’re going through many of life’s events.”
The company didn’t reveal how it knew that something unsuspected was happening inside the autonomous vehicle or what exactly the ‘unusual activity’ was, but it did confirm that its cars are fitted with cameras and microphones, both inside and out.
After the delivery, the autonomous Jaguar I-Pace was taken off the road to be deep cleaned before getting back out there and hopefully having much less eventful journeys in the future.
Believe it or not, this has happened before
Somewhat incredibly, the Waymo spokesperson also revealed this wasn’t a one-off.
According to the Daily Mail, Waymo confirmed that a baby had previously been delivered inside a Waymo in Phoenix, Arizona.
The company didn’t share any further details, but we’d be interested to know if either mom opted for a Waymo-inspired name for their newborns – maybe Wayne for a boy or EVe for a girl?
“While this is a very rare occurrence, some of our newest riders just can’t wait to experience their first Waymo ride,” the spokesperson joked.
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Claire Reid is a journalist who hails from the UK but is now living in New Zealand. She began her career after graduating with a degree in Journalism from Liverpool John Moore’s University and has more than a decade of experience, writing for both local newspapers and national news sites. Claire covers a wide variety of topics, with a special focus on cars, technology, planes, cryptocurrency, and luxury.
