After power outage, San Francisco wonders: Can robot taxis handle a big earthquake?

A Waymo autonomous taxi on Bush Street in San Francisco, California, US, on Dec 17, 2025. City officials have called for a hearing investigating Waymo after the company's self-driving taxis suffered widespread problems during a power outage. — Bloomberg

San Francisco officials on Dec 22 called for an investigation into Waymo after its autonomous taxis blocked intersections and snarled traffic during an hourslong power outage over the weekend.

The meltdown, which led Waymo to temporarily shut down its entire fleet in San Francisco, raised alarms about whether the vehicles might impede evacuations or emergency services during a bigger disaster, such as a major earthquake.