California regulator reviews Waymo stalls during San Francisco power outage

Core Viewpoint - A power outage in San Francisco caused Waymo's robotaxis to stall, prompting an investigation by the California Public Utilities Commission [1][2] Group 1: Incident Details - During the power outage, approximately 130,000 Pacific Gas & Electric customers were affected, leading to Waymo halting its ride-hailing services [2] - Footage showed multiple Waymo robotaxis stopped in intersections, causing traffic congestion [2] - Waymo stated that the power outage resulted in significant gridlock, with non-functioning traffic signals and transit disruptions [6] Group 2: Company Response and Operations - Waymo resumed its robotaxi service in the area following the incident [5] - The company emphasized its commitment to ensuring technology adapts to traffic flow during such events [6] - Waymo has been operating driverless vehicles in San Francisco since 2022 and opened rides to the public via its app last year [7] Group 3: Historical Context and Challenges - Waymo launched its autonomous ride-hailing service in Phoenix in 2018 and has expanded to other cities, including Austin and Atlanta [7] - The company faced setbacks, including a software recall affecting over 1,200 vehicles and a previous incident involving a Waymo car that killed a cat, which drew public backlash [8]