Story perspectives

Waymo Halts Service After Major San Francisco Power Outage

12/23/2025

Summary

Story summary

Waymo LLC, the self-driving unit of Alphabet Inc., temporarily suspended its autonomous taxi service in San Francisco after a major power outage left traffic signals inoperable.
The blackout affected more than 130,000 residents and left Waymo vehicles stranded at intersections.
Videos on social media showed Waymo vehicles halted with hazard lights on.
Waymo resumed service the following day and said it would improve its technology to handle disruptions.

History

Historical Context

In October 2019, Pacific Gas and Electric (PG&E) initiated widespread power shutoffs across California to prevent wildfires, affecting over 3 million residents. This followed previous devastating fires linked to PG&E equipment, prompting criticism for inadequate communication and support for vulnerable populations. The recent service suspension by Waymo due to a power outage echoes these vulnerabilities, emphasizing the need for resilient autonomous vehicle systems amid urban infrastructure challenges.

1 of 2

Story summary

Waymo LLC, the self-driving unit of Alphabet Inc., temporarily suspended its autonomous taxi service in San Francisco after a major power outage left traffic signals inoperable.
The blackout affected more than 130,000 residents and left Waymo vehicles stranded at intersections.
Videos on social media showed Waymo vehicles halted with hazard lights on.
Waymo resumed service the following day and said it would improve its technology to handle disruptions.

1 / 2