San Francisco Blackout Disrupts Waymo Robotaxis, Tesla Claims Immunity
A widespread power outage in San Francisco over the weekend forced Waymo to pause its autonomous vehicle operations, while Tesla CEO Elon Musk asserted his company's robotaxis were unaffected—despite Tesla not operating a driverless program in the city.
The blackout, caused by a substation fire, left 21,000 customers without power in key neighborhoods including Presidio and downtown. Pacific Gas & Electric warned of extensive damage with no clear repair timeline. San Francisco officials deployed emergency crews as services gradually resumed.
Musk's claim about Tesla's uninterrupted service drew swift backlash on social media, with users noting Tesla's Full Self-Driving system requires human supervision and lacks permits for fully autonomous operations in California. The incident highlights the growing pains of autonomous vehicle integration amid aging infrastructure.
