Waymo Shut Down San Francisco Robotaxis on Christmas Due to Flash Flood Warnings
The surprise move came just days after its self-driving cars caused gridlock during a power outage.
The surprise move came just days after its self-driving cars caused gridlock during a power outage.
By Jonathan Small | edited by Jessica Thomas | Dec 26, 2025
The weather outside was frightful — so Waymo shut down its driverless ride-hailing service in San Francisco on Christmas. “Service temporarily paused due to National Weather Service flash flood warning,” read a customer notification in the app. The company has since resumed service.
The shutdown came after Waymo paused service during a December 20 blackout in San Francisco that left tens of thousands without power and caused some autonomous vehicles to halt mid-traffic, contributing to gridlock.
The Alphabet-owned company said earlier this week it will update its fleet to better perform during power outages. Jeffrey Tumlin, former CEO of San Francisco’s Municipal Transit Authority, told CNBC that regulators should ask “what is a reasonable number of autonomous vehicles to have on city streets, by time of day, by geography and weather” as Waymo faces increased scrutiny while expanding to five U.S. markets.
The weather outside was frightful — so Waymo shut down its driverless ride-hailing service in San Francisco on Christmas. “Service temporarily paused due to National Weather Service flash flood warning,” read a customer notification in the app. The company has since resumed service.
The shutdown came after Waymo paused service during a December 20 blackout in San Francisco that left tens of thousands without power and caused some autonomous vehicles to halt mid-traffic, contributing to gridlock.
The Alphabet-owned company said earlier this week it will update its fleet to better perform during power outages. Jeffrey Tumlin, former CEO of San Francisco’s Municipal Transit Authority, told CNBC that regulators should ask “what is a reasonable number of autonomous vehicles to have on city streets, by time of day, by geography and weather” as Waymo faces increased scrutiny while expanding to five U.S. markets.