tech
December 21, 2025
Waymo suspends service in San Francisco as robotaxis stall during blackout
Waymo suspended its SF robotaxi service on Saturday evening after a massive blackout appeared to leave many of its vehicles stalled on city streets.
TL;DR
- Waymo robotaxi service in San Francisco was suspended on Saturday evening.
- The suspension was a result of a widespread power outage that caused many Waymo vehicles to stall.
- Photos and videos showed stalled robotaxis at intersections and on roads.
- The blackout is suspected to be caused by a fire at a Pacific Gas & Electric substation.
- Around 120,000 PG&E customers were affected, with 35,000 still without power Sunday morning.
- The outage also affected city traffic lights and Muni mass transit.
- San Francisco Mayor Daniel Lurie advised residents to stay off the roads.
- Potential causes for the vehicle malfunction include the loss of traffic lights or disruption to cell service and traffic data.
- Waymo is working with city officials to monitor infrastructure and hopes to resume services soon.
- Waymo is reportedly providing 450,000 robotaxi rides per week.
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