A large power outage across San Francisco during the weekend disrupted daily life in the city and temporarily halted the operations of Waymo’s self-driving taxi service. The outage occurred on Saturday afternoon after a fire caused serious damage at a local electrical substation, according to utility provider Pacific Gas and Electric Company. As a result, electricity was cut off for more than 100,000 customers across multiple neighborhoods.
The loss of power affected more than homes and businesses. Several traffic signals across the city stopped functioning, creating confusion and congestion on major roads. During this period, multiple Waymo robotaxis were seen stopping in the middle of streets and intersections. Videos shared online showed the autonomous vehicles remaining stationary with their hazard lights turned on, while human drivers attempted to maneuver around them, leading to traffic bottlenecks in some areas.
Waymo confirmed that it temporarily paused all robotaxi services in the Bay Area as the outage unfolded. The company explained that its autonomous driving system is designed to treat non-working traffic lights as four-way stops, a standard safety approach used by human drivers as well. However, officials said the unusually widespread nature of the outage made conditions more complex than usual. In some cases, Waymo vehicles waited longer than expected at intersections to verify traffic conditions, which contributed to delays during peak congestion.
City authorities took emergency measures to manage the situation. Police officers, firefighters, and other personnel were deployed to direct traffic manually at critical intersections. Public transportation services were also affected, with some commuter train lines and stations experiencing temporary shutdowns due to the power failure.
Waymo stated that it remained in contact with city officials throughout the disruption and prioritized safety during the incident. The company said most rides that were already in progress were completed successfully, while other vehicles were either safely pulled over or returned to depots once service was suspended.
By Sunday afternoon, PG&E reported that power had been restored to the majority of affected customers, although thousands were still waiting for electricity to return. The utility provider said full restoration was expected by Monday.
Following the restoration of power, Waymo confirmed that its ride-hailing services in San Francisco had resumed. The company also indicated that it would review the incident to improve how its autonomous systems respond during large-scale infrastructure failures.
Waymo operates self-driving taxi services in several U.S. cities, including Los Angeles, Phoenix, Austin, and parts of Texas, and plans further expansion. The San Francisco outage has renewed discussions about how autonomous vehicles should adapt during emergencies, particularly when critical urban infrastructure fails.
