San Francisco outage: Waymo halts service as stranded vehicles cause major traffic meltdown; videos emerge

Amid the San Francisco power outage, Waymo announced that it was stopping service after videos shared online showed its vehicles snarling traffic.

Updated on: Dec 21, 2025, 13:52:38 IST

By Sumanti Sen

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Amid massive power outages across large areas of San Francisco, Waymo announced Saturday, December 20, that it was stopping service after videos shared online showed its autonomous vehicles snarling traffic. The blackout has left about 130,000 customers without electricity.

A Waymo vehicle sits idling at an intersection with no operating traffic lights due to power outages, in San Francisco, Saturday, Dec. 20, 2025. (AP Photo/Jeff Chiu) (AP)

“We have temporarily suspended our ride-hailing services given the broad power outage in San Francisco,” wrote Suzanne Philion, a company spokesperson, a little after 7 pm, according to Mission Local. “We are focused on keeping our riders safe and ensuring emergency personnel have the clear access they need to do their work.”

With traffic lights across the city down due to the outage, drivers were seemingly left confused. Many halted their vehicles in their tracks.

Videos and photos that have surfaced on social media show fleets of Waymo stuck in traffic. Take a look:

When will power be restored in San Francisco?

Officials have been unable to provide a specific time for when power will be restored. Pacific Gas & Electric simply said in an X post that “ restoration is possible later today, though we are not able to confirm just yet.”

PG&E has not confirmed a cause for the massive outages, but the San Francisco Fire Department said that there is an ongoing fire at a PG&E substation at 8th and Mission Streets. SFFD received a call about the fire at 2:16 pm on Saturday, SFFD Lieutenant Mariano Elias said, as reported by The San Francisco Standard. Most of the fire is reportedly contained, with no injuries or structural damage reported.

“I’m sure [the fire] has a contributing factor as to why the power is out in the city,” Elias said.

ABOUT THE AUTHOR
Sumanti Sen
Sumanti Sen covers everything that’s happening in the US, from politics to entertainment, but her expertise lies in covering crime news. She has comprehensively chronicled the Idaho student murders, the Laken Riley and Iryna Zarutska cases, and the killing of Charlie Kirk, among other incidents. Over the years, she has interviewed several victims/families of victims of crimes seeking justice. She digs up stories that might otherwise remain unheard, and does her bit to ensure that victims and survivors’ voices are heard. Sumanti’s many years of experience also include interviews with Hamas attack survivors and mental health experts, among others. Her coverage of the October 7 Hamas attack on Israel and interviews with survivors of the tragedy, coupled with her other works including the Titan submersible coverage, earned her the Digi Journo of the Quarter award during her first year at Hindustan Times. Sumanti actively tracks missing person cases in the United States, and peruses Reddit and other social media platforms to bring to light cases that frequently elude public attention. She has extensively covered the disappearances of Nancy Guthrie, Thomas Medlin, Beau Mann, and Sudiksha Konanki, among others. When not at work, you will either find her with her novels, or with her beloved rescue pooches.Read More

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