Waymo’s driverless robotaxis stalled in San Francisco streets during a massive blackout, exposing the dangers of overreliance on unproven tech in a city already plagued by liberal mismanagement.
Story Snapshot
- Waymo paused its fully autonomous ride-hail service after vehicles froze amid power outages affecting 130,000 customers, worsening gridlock.
- Tesla’s service, requiring human drivers, operated unaffected, as Elon Musk highlighted on X.
- MIT expert warns cities lack readiness for robotaxis, calling for human backups amid predictable failures like blackouts.
- Public fear of autonomous vehicles remains high, with two-thirds of drivers uneasy per AAA survey.
Blackout Triggers Waymo Chaos
A fire at a PG&E substation sparked power outages starting at 1:09 p.m. on Saturday, December 20, 2025, peaking two hours later and impacting 130,000 San Francisco customers. By Sunday morning, 21,000 remained without power in areas like the Presidio, Richmond District, Golden Gate Park, and downtown. Non-functioning traffic signals caused widespread gridlock and transit disruptions. San Francisco Mayor Daniel Lurie deployed police, fire crews, parking control officers, and city ambassadors to manage the crisis.
Bad look for Waymo. Lots of reports out of SF where the power outage caused its robotaxis to stop in traffic, causing jams.
On the other side, the Tesla robotaxi fleet (& personal FSD users) continued the service without hiccups.
Not clear if Waymo vehicles themselves are… pic.twitter.com/DexuAh0Bpt
— Jaan of the EVwire.com ⚡ (@TheEVuniverse) December 21, 2025
Waymo Vehicles Stall, Service Halted
Videos on social media captured multiple Waymo autonomous vehicles stalled across the city. Resident Matt Schoolfield observed at least three stopped in traffic between 6 p.m. and 9:45 p.m., including one photographed on Turk Boulevard near Parker Avenue. “They were just stopping in the middle of the street,” Schoolfield reported. Waymo spokesperson Suzanne Philion explained the vehicles treat non-functional signals as four-way stops but remained stationary longer during the outage’s scale, contributing to congestion.
Waymo proactively paused service Saturday evening through Sunday morning, coordinating with city officials. Most active trips completed successfully before vehicles returned to depots or pulled over safely. Philion emphasized commitment to adapting technology to such utility failures. Service has now resumed in the Bay Area. This incident underscores vulnerabilities in driverless systems during routine emergencies, prioritizing caution over American drivers’ need for reliable transport.
Tesla Unaffected with Human Oversight
Tesla CEO Elon Musk posted on X: “Tesla Robotaxis were unaffected by the SF power outage.” Tesla’s local ride-hailing uses FSD (Supervised) with human drivers at all times, unlike Waymo’s fully driverless operation. California regulators, including the DMV and CPUC, confirm Tesla lacks permits for unsupervised driverless services in the state. Tesla’s app hails rides with safety supervisors onboard, even where permitted elsewhere.
Expert Critique: Cities Not Ready for Robotaxis
MIT’s Bryan Reimer stated the Waymo pause shows cities unprepared for automated vehicles flooding streets. “Something in the design and development of this technology was missed,” he said, noting power outages are predictable. Reimer advocates mixing human and machine intelligence with backups for robotaxis. Regulators must cap automated vehicle penetration and hold developers accountable for gridlock, akin to human drivers. An AAA survey found two-thirds of U.S. drivers fear autonomous vehicles. Waymo leads Western AVs against Tesla and Chinese rivals like Baidu’s Apollo Go.
Under President Trump’s pro-innovation policies, including Trump-era advancements in automated vehicle strategy and AI leadership, such failures highlight why human judgment remains essential. Conservative values prioritize individual liberty and safety over rushed tech adoption in Democrat-run cities like San Francisco, where gridlock from poor infrastructure already burdens families.
