Waymo Robotaxis Pull Over During Power Outage, Humans Forced to Play Frogger
KEY POINTS
- •A power outage hit San Francisco on December 21, 2025, affecting 130,000 PG&E customers, caused by a fire damaging a substation.
- •Waymo suspended all robotaxi services due to the outage, leaving multiple vehicles stalled and blocking traffic, forcing drivers to maneuver around them.
- •Tesla CEO Elon Musk highlighted that Tesla’s robotaxis were unaffected, emphasizing their different technology approach, while Waymo promised speedy service restoration.
On December 21, 2025, a power outage knocked out lights and sense for about 130,000 PG&E customers in San Francisco, courtesy of a fire wrecking a substation. Waymo’s robotaxis — that high-tech cocktail of lidar, radar, and layered maps — instantly turned into traffic statues, blocking intersections with at least five Waymos holding a silent vigil midjam. Human drivers had to tiptoe around these electronic divas. Meanwhile, Tesla’s Elon Musk couldn’t resist throwing shade on his electric rival, bragging his camera-and-AI-fueled robotaxis stayed wide awake. Waymo’s spokesperson promised to restore service ASAP, presumably praying to the Google overlords. Oh, and remember: these robo-cars still have software recalls and a deadly bodega cat casualty on their rap sheet.
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(1 of 3)Waymo’s robotaxis proved they only drive when the grid’s on. Their parking lot traffic jam? Human drivers managed better than their AI. Meanwhile, Elon Musk tweets about his sober Tesla bots like a kid showing off his homework.
If your self-driving car stalls because it needs power, is it really self-driving or just self-napping? Waymo says 'powerless' while Tesla says 'powered up,' and drivers are stuck in a robotistential crisis.
Five Waymo cars stalled in traffic during SF blackout, turning intersections into AI zombie zones. Humans had to play traffic Tetris around them while Elon Musk slipped on his smug cape.
Source: Businessinsider | Published: 12/21/2025 | Author: Lauren Edmonds
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