Power Outage Stalls San Francisco, Including Its Robotaxis

A major power outage struck San Francisco on Saturday, plunging approximately 130,000 residents and businesses into darkness. The blackout also forced a leading self-driving car service to halt its autonomous vehicles, leaving them immobilized on city streets. The widespread electrical failure affected multiple neighborhoods. Utility crews are investigating the cause and working to restore power. The incident directly impacted the city's controversial driverless taxi services. A company spokesperson confirmed it proactively stopped its fleet of robotaxis—cars that operate without a human driver—as a standard safety precaution during the grid failure. This led to several of the vehicles becoming stationary obstacles until they could be manually retrieved. The event highlights the real-world challenges of integrating advanced technology, like autonomous vehicles, with aging urban infrastructure.