Waymo announced it will update its San Francisco fleet after a power outage caused its driverless cars to stall and block traffic.
A PG&E power outage left 30% of San Francisco without power, with around 130,000 customers left in the dark at its peak on Saturday, Dec. 20, according to USA TODAY’s previous reporting.
Waymo, a robotaxi service known for its autonomous vehicles, was impacted by the power outage. Videos posted to social media show the cars stalled at intersections, causing gridlock at intersections where traffic lights were disabled due to the power outage.
On Tuesday, Dec. 23, Waymo announced it would update its cars following the outage.
“We are analyzing the event, and are already integrating the lessons from this weekend’s PG&E outage,” the company stated in a blog post on its website.
Here’s what to know.
Fire at PG&E substation plunges San Francisco into darkness
1 of 6
People observe an area affected by a blackout that hit about 130,000 residents, according to the Pacific Gas and Electric Company, in San Francisco, Calif. on Dec. 21, 2025.
When will rain end in California? See power outages, warnings, radar
How will Waymo adjust its service going forward?
Waymo has announced that it will do the following moving forward:
Update its emergency preparedness and response by improving protocols.
Integrate information about outages to give driverless cars “more context about regional outages, allowing them to navigate these intersections more decisively.”
Update the training for first responders on how to interact with Waymo.
“In San Francisco, we’ll continue to coordinate with Mayor (Daniel) Lurie’s team to identify areas of greater collaboration in our existing emergency preparedness plans,” Waymo stated.
A Waymo car is halted on the road amid a power outage in San Francisco, California, U.S., December 20, 2025, in this screengrab obtained from a social media video.
What caused the PG&E power outage?
Officials stated that a fire at a PG&E electric facility caused the power outage.
As of Wednesday, Dec. 24, most of San Francisco’s power has been restored.
Contributing: Melina Khan, James Powel; USA TODAY
Julia is a trending reporter for USA TODAY. You can connect with her on LinkedIn, follow her on X, formerly known as Twitter, Instagram and TikTok: @juliamariegz, or email her at jgomez@gannett.com.
This article originally appeared on USA TODAY: Waymo’s driverless cars to get update after PG&E power outage