tech
December 22, 2025
Frozen Waymos backed up San Francisco traffic during a widespread power outage
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TL;DR
- A power outage in San Francisco stranded approximately 130,000 customers and caused Waymo's autonomous vehicles to stop, leading to traffic jams.
- Social media posts showed Waymo SUVs immobile, while Tesla vehicles using FSD navigated the same streets unaffected.
- Waymo temporarily suspended its ride-hailing services for safety and to allow emergency personnel access.
- PG&E reported service restoration for most affected customers after a fire at a power substation.
- Waymo has since resumed ride-hailing services, committing to improving its technology's response to such events.
- Speculation for Waymo's issues includes potential problems with wireless data connections and non-functioning traffic signals.
- Similar incidents with Waymo vehicles have occurred previously, linked to infrastructure failures and requiring remote assistance.
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