Waymo Suspends Service in San Francisco as Robotaxis Stall During Blackout

Waymo Suspends Service in San Francisco as Robotaxis Stall During Blackout

Waymo, the self-driving car company, has suspended its robotaxi service in San Francisco due to a massive blackout that left many of its vehicles stalled on city streets.

According to TechCrunch ^[1], the service was suspended on Saturday evening as the blackout affected the entire city. The company's robotaxis were unable to operate due to the power outage, leaving passengers stranded.

The blackout, which was caused by a combination of factors including high winds and aging infrastructure, affected over 100,000 households in the city. The outage was so severe that it forced the city's emergency services to divert resources to respond to the crisis.

Waymo's suspension of service is a significant blow to the company's operations in San Francisco. The city has been one of the key testing grounds for Waymo's self-driving technology, and the company had been working closely with local authorities to deploy its robotaxis.

The suspension of service is also a setback for the company's plans to expand its operations in the city. Waymo had been planning to launch a new fleet of robotaxis in San Francisco, but the blackout has put those plans on hold.

The incident highlights the challenges that self-driving car companies face in operating in cities with aging infrastructure. The blackout was a perfect storm of factors that highlighted the vulnerabilities of the city's power grid.

Waymo's suspension of service is a reminder that self-driving cars are not immune to the challenges of operating in complex urban environments. The company will need to work closely with local authorities to ensure that its robotaxis are able to operate safely and efficiently in the city.

Sources

[1] Waymo suspends service in San Francisco as robotaxis stall during blackout