Waymo Resumes Service After San Francisco Power Outage

Autonomous vehicle company navigates challenges during citywide blackout

Apr. 11, 2026 at 7:52am by

Got story updates? Submit your updates here. ›

A highly detailed, glowing 3D illustration of a Waymo autonomous vehicle surrounded by a cityscape of neon-lit buildings and infrastructure, representing the resilience and adaptability of self-driving technology in the face of a major power outage.Waymo's autonomous vehicles navigate the challenges of a citywide power outage, showcasing the resilience of self-driving technology.San Francisco Today

Waymo, the autonomous driving company, faced a unique challenge when a massive power outage struck San Francisco, causing traffic chaos and forcing the company to temporarily suspend its ride-hailing service. The outage, caused by a fire at a PG&E substation, left over 130,000 homes and businesses without power, disrupting traffic signals and creating an unprecedented situation for self-driving vehicles.

Why it matters

The incident highlights the reliance of autonomous vehicles on functioning infrastructure and the need for robust systems that can adapt to unexpected scenarios. As the adoption of self-driving technology increases, events like this power outage serve as crucial learning experiences for companies like Waymo to improve their capabilities and earn the trust of the communities they serve.

The details

Waymo claimed its vehicles are designed to treat non-functioning traffic signals as four-way stops, but the scale of the outage created unique challenges. The company proactively paused its services on Saturday evening, ensuring active trips were completed safely before returning vehicles to depots or pulling them over. Mayor Daniel Lurie praised the efforts of Waymo, as well as the deployment of police officers, transit workers, and emergency crews to manage intersections and restore order.

  • The power outage occurred on a recent holiday weekend in San Francisco.
  • Waymo temporarily suspended its services on Saturday evening during the outage.

The players

Waymo

An autonomous driving company and a subsidiary of Alphabet Inc., Google's parent company.

Daniel Lurie

The mayor of San Francisco who praised the efforts of Waymo and other city officials in managing the power outage.

Pacific Gas and Electric Co. (PG&E)

The utility company responsible for the substation fire that caused the widespread power outage in San Francisco.

Tesla

An electric vehicle company that claimed its full self-driving feature is trained on billions of real-world miles, including power outages, taking a jab at its competitor Waymo.

Suzanne Philion

A spokesperson for Waymo who emphasized the company's dedication to earning and maintaining the trust of the communities they serve.

Got photos? Submit your photos here. ›

What they’re saying

“The deployment of police officers, transit workers, and emergency crews to manage intersections and restore order was crucial.”

— Daniel Lurie, Mayor of San Francisco

What’s next

Waymo is committed to integrating the lessons learned from the power outage incident to further improve the resilience and adaptability of its autonomous vehicle technology.

The takeaway

The San Francisco power outage incident highlights the need for autonomous vehicle systems to be designed with robust capabilities to handle unexpected infrastructure failures and disruptions. As the adoption of self-driving technology increases, companies like Waymo must continue to prioritize safety, adaptability, and earning the trust of the communities they serve.