Waymo’s robotaxi service in San Francisco has resumed operations after a one-hour pause triggered by a power outage affecting approximately 7,000 PG&E customers in the city.
For context, autonomous vehicle fleets like Waymo’s have faced disruptions during past outages, including a December blackout that left vehicles stalled on city streets.
Waymo confirms temporary service adjustments
A company spokesperson stated that Waymo “temporarily paused” service and made freeway routes unavailable while monitoring local conditions. The pause lasted roughly one hour to assess the outage’s scale and coordinate with local officials, the spokesperson later clarified.
San Francisco’s response to autonomous vehicle disruptions
San Francisco Mayor Daniel Lurie has previously called for stricter state regulations to ensure autonomous vehicles can operate safely during major incidents, whether planned or unplanned.
Waymo confirmed service had fully resumed following the adjustments. The company has not indicated whether further disruptions are expected.
