What happened to Waymo cars during the San Francisco power outage?

During the San Francisco power outage, all active Waymo robotaxis in the city became immobilized, causing traffic disruptions.

How many people were affected by the San Francisco power outage?

The power outage affected approximately 124,000 customers in San Francisco, which was about 30% of the total customer base.

Did Waymo service resume after the San Francisco blackout?

As of Sunday morning, Waymo had not provided an update on whether their robotaxi service had resumed following the outage.

Home / Technology / SF Blackout Sparks Robotaxi Gridlock

SF Blackout Sparks Robotaxi Gridlock

21 Dec, 2025

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Summary

Power outage affected 30% of San Francisco customers on Saturday.
All active Waymo robotaxis in the city were rendered immobile.
Stalled robotaxis blocked intersections and worsened traffic conditions.

A widespread power outage struck San Francisco on Saturday, plunging approximately 30% of the city's customers into darkness. This unexpected disruption led to a complete standstill for all active Waymo robotaxis operating within the city limits. The autonomous vehicles became stuck, creating significant traffic congestion by blocking key intersections and thoroughfares.

Waymo spokesperson Suzanne Philion confirmed that the company temporarily suspended services in response to the outage. The primary focus was ensuring the safety of passengers and maintaining clear access for emergency personnel responding to the situation. As of Sunday morning, Waymo had not provided an update regarding the resumption of services or the specific cause of the outage.

This incident highlights the potential vulnerabilities of autonomous vehicle technology to external infrastructure failures. While companies like Waymo tout safety benefits, unpredictable failures, such as a mass offline event during a blackout, raise questions about their reliability compared to human drivers in non-aggregate scenarios.