{"id":107667,"date":"2025-12-24T13:43:09","date_gmt":"2025-12-24T13:43:09","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-ca\/107667\/"},"modified":"2025-12-24T13:43:09","modified_gmt":"2025-12-24T13:43:09","slug":"waymo-to-update-driverless-cars-after-san-francisco-power-outage","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-ca\/107667\/","title":{"rendered":"Waymo to update driverless cars after San Francisco power outage"},"content":{"rendered":"

Waymo announced it will update its San Francisco fleet after a power outage<\/a> caused its driverless cars to stall and block traffic.<\/p>\n

A PG&E power outage left 30% of San Francisco without power, with around 130,000 customers left in the dark<\/a> at its peak on Saturday, Dec. 20, according to USA TODAY’s previous reporting.<\/p>\n

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.<\/p>\n

On Tuesday, Dec. 23, Waymo announced it would update its cars following the outage.<\/p>\n

“We are analyzing the event, and are already integrating the lessons from this weekend\u2019s PG&E outage,” the company stated in a blog post<\/a> on its website.<\/p>\n

Here’s what to know.<\/p>\n

Fire at PG&E substation plunges San Francisco into darkness<\/p>\n

1 of 6<\/p>\n

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.<\/p>\n

When will rain end in California? See power outages, warnings, radar<\/a><\/p>\n

How will Waymo adjust its service going forward?<\/p>\n

Waymo has announced that it will do the following moving forward:<\/p>\n

Update its emergency preparedness and response by improving protocols.<\/p>\n

Integrate information about outages to give driverless cars “more context about regional outages, allowing them to navigate these intersections more decisively.”<\/p>\n

Update the training for first responders on how to interact with Waymo.<\/p>\n

“In San Francisco, we\u2019ll continue to coordinate with Mayor (Daniel) Lurie\u2019s team to identify areas of greater collaboration in our existing emergency preparedness plans,” Waymo stated.<\/p>\n

\"A<\/p>\n

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.<\/p>\n

What caused the PG&E power outage?<\/p>\n

Officials stated that a\u00a0fire at a PG&E electric facility<\/a> caused the power outage.<\/p>\n

As of Wednesday, Dec. 24, most of San Francisco’s power has been restored.<\/p>\n

Contributing: Melina Khan<\/a>, James Powel<\/a>; USA TODAY<\/p>\n

Julia is a trending reporter for USA TODAY. You can connect with her on\u00a0LinkedIn<\/a>, follow her on\u00a0X,<\/a>\u00a0formerly known as Twitter,\u00a0Instagram<\/a>\u00a0and\u00a0TikTok<\/a>:\u00a0@juliamariegz,\u00a0or email her at jgomez@gannett.com.<\/p>\n

This article originally appeared on USA TODAY: Waymo’s driverless cars to get update after PG&E power outage<\/a><\/p>\n