Waymo Resumes San Francisco Robotaxi Service After Power Outage Pause

Waymo has resumed its robotaxi service in San Francisco after temporarily suspending operations for about an hour in response to a widespread power outage affecting thousands of Pacific Gas & Electric customers across the city.

Users reported receiving notifications through the Waymo app stating that service had been temporarily paused and that freeway routes were unavailable. The interruption occurred as approximately 7,000 PG&E customers experienced power disruptions, prompting the Alphabet-owned autonomous vehicle company to assess local conditions before allowing vehicles to resume normal operation.

A Waymo spokesperson said the company made temporary adjustments to its service while monitoring the developing situation. The company later confirmed that it had paused operations for roughly one hour to evaluate the impact of the outage and coordinate with local officials before restoring service.

The incident is not the first time power disruptions have affected Waymo’s driverless vehicle network. During a blackout in December, several Waymo robotaxis stalled on San Francisco streets, while another outage during Fourth of July celebrations near the Golden Gate Bridge previously disrupted traffic involving the company’s autonomous vehicles.

Those incidents have renewed discussions about how autonomous vehicles should respond during emergencies. San Francisco Mayor Daniel Lurie has previously called for stronger state regulations to ensure self-driving vehicle operators can safely manage both planned events and unexpected incidents such as major power outages.