Waymo, the autonomous-vehicle subsidiary of Alphabet, has temporarily paused its robotaxi service in San Francisco after a power outage left around 7,000 Pacific Gas & Electric (PG&E) customers without electricity. The company told users via an in-app notification that service was 'temporarily paused' and that freeway routes were unavailable, according to a screenshot shared on social media.
A Waymo spokesperson confirmed the disruption, stating: 'We are making temporary adjustments to our service while we monitor local conditions. We know riders depend on us, and we will return to normal operations as soon as possible.' The outage is the latest in a series of events that have exposed the vulnerability of autonomous vehicles to power failures and grid instability.
This is not the first time power cuts have caused problems for Waymo. In December 2025, a number of its vehicles stalled on city streets during a blackout, and a similar incident caused gridlock during a Fourth of July fireworks display on the Golden Gate Bridge. The recurring issues have raised concerns about the reliability of self-driving technology when infrastructure fails.
San Francisco Mayor Daniel Lurie has responded by calling for tougher state-level regulations to 'adequately address how autonomous vehicles operate during major incidents, planned or not.' His comments come as US cities grapple with the integration of robotaxis into existing transport networks, and as UK policymakers watch closely ahead of planned autonomous-vehicle trials in parts of Britain.
For UK businesses and consumers, the Waymo incident highlights a critical vulnerability in the promise of autonomous transport: dependence on stable power and communications infrastructure. The UK's Information Commissioner's Office (ICO) and the Department for Transport are already examining safety and data-protection requirements for self-driving vehicles, while the EU's AI Act imposes strict requirements on high-risk AI systems, including those used in transport. Experts warn that without robust contingency plans, widespread adoption of autonomous taxis in the UK could face similar disruptions during power cuts or cyber incidents.
Dr. Emma Hartley, a transport technology researcher at Imperial College London, said: 'The San Francisco outages show that autonomous vehicles are only as resilient as the grid they rely on. UK regulators should mandate backup systems and clear protocols for emergencies before these services go live on British roads.' The incident serves as a reminder that the road to fully autonomous transport is not just about the cars themselves, but about the infrastructure that supports them.