Three days after a widespread power outage in San Francisco disrupted its driverless car service, Waymo announced it is rolling out updates to its autonomous fleet to better handle future infrastructure failures. The outage, which began in the early afternoon on Saturday and affected around 130,000 customers, was caused by a fire at a substation that led to "significant and extensive" damage, according to Pacific Gas and Electric. By Sunday morning, about 21,000 customers were still without power. With traffic signals and stoplights nonfunctional, the city experienced major gridlock. Videos circulating on social media showed several Waymo vehicles stalled in intersections across various neighborhoods. In response, Waymo directed its fleet to safely pull over and park in designated areas, allowing vehicles to be returned to depots in waves to avoid worsening congestion and blocking emergency responders. “We’ve always focused on developing the Waymo Driver for the world as it is, including when infrastructure fails,” the company said in a blog post late Tuesday. “This event reinforced the importance of preparing for real-world disruptions.” Waymo outlined three immediate steps to improve its response to future outages. First, it will deploy fleet-wide software updates that give vehicles greater awareness of regional power failures, enabling them to make more informed decisions at intersections. Second, the company is enhancing its emergency response protocols and strengthening coordination with San Francisco Mayor Daniel Lurie’s office to improve collaboration during large-scale disruptions. Third, Waymo is updating its first responder training programs based on insights gained from this incident and similar events. Waymo continues to operate paid autonomous rides in the Bay Area, Austin, Phoenix, Atlanta, and Los Angeles. The company recently surpassed an estimated 450,000 weekly paid rides and reported that it had completed 14 million trips in 2025—on track to exceed 20 million since launching in 2020. With over 100 million miles of fully autonomous driving experience and a proven track record in improving road safety, Waymo said it remains committed to transforming urban mobility. “We’re proud to continue serving San Franciscan residents and visitors,” the company stated. “Backed by real-world experience and a relentless focus on safety, we’re undaunted by the challenges of building the future of transportation.”