Alphabet-owned autonomous vehicle operator Waymo said on Tuesday it will overhaul aspects of its software and emergency procedures following a widespread power outage in San Francisco that caused its driverless taxis to stall and contribute to traffic disruption over the weekend.  

 

Blackout Throws City and Robotaxis Into Disarray

 

On Saturday, a fire at a Pacific Gas & Electric (PG&E) substation knocked out electricity to roughly one-third of San Francisco, cutting power to about 130,000 homes and businesses and causing traffic lights to go dark across large swaths of the city.  

 

Videos posted on social media showed Waymo’s autonomous vehicles idling at intersections with hazard lights flashing, unable to proceed in the absence of functioning signals and thus slowing local traffic. Although the company said its vehicles are programmed to treat traffic lights without power as four-way stops, the sheer scale of the outage triggered an unusually high number of internal safety checks — more than 7,000 confirmations in some areas — that overwhelmed the system and delayed decision-making.  

 

Waymo Adjusts Software and Protocols

 

Waymo acknowledged the situation highlighted limitations in its current operational logic for handling extensive infrastructure failures. The company said it will issue a fleet-wide software update designed to give vehicles better “power outage context,” enabling them to interpret and navigate intersections more decisively during similar large-scale outages in the future.  

 

Separately, Waymo is committing to improve its emergency response protocols by expanding engagement with first responders and integrating lessons learned from the weekend. This includes adjustments designed to help the vehicles interact more effectively with emergency personnel and city officials during infrastructure disruptions. 

 

Service Pause and Regulatory Attention

 

In response to the traffic congestion and stalled robotaxis, Waymo paused its ride-hailing service in San Francisco on Saturday evening, resuming operations the following day after conditions stabilized.  

 

The incident has drawn the attention of California regulators. The California Public Utilities Commission (CPUC), which oversees utility and public safety issues, said it is reviewing the power outage’s impact on autonomous vehicles and how Waymo’s systems responded. The CPUC and the California Department of Motor Vehicles (DMV) both play roles in regulating and permitting commercial deployment of self-driving vehicles in the state. 

 

A Broader Context for Robotaxi Operations

 

Waymo operates a fleet of more than 2,500 autonomous vehicles in multiple U.S. cities, including the Bay Area, Los Angeles, Metro Phoenix, Austin, and Atlanta. Its technology has been at the forefront of efforts to commercialize fully driverless ride services.  

 

Earlier this month, the company issued a software recall after officials in Texas reported that its vehicles passed stopped school buses illegally on at least 19 occasions. That issue prompted a National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) investigation, illustrating that despite progress, deploying autonomous vehicles at scale continues to present safety and regulatory challenges.  

 

Looking Ahead

 

Waymo’s response to the San Francisco outage — including software improvements and enhanced emergency protocols — underscores the evolving nature of autonomous vehicle deployments. As these systems increasingly interact with real-world conditions, companies and regulators alike are refining how the technology should react to emergencies and infrastructure failures, balancing innovation with public safety.