Elon Musk publicly criticized rival Waymo this weekend. He highlighted a significant power outage incident in San Francisco. Waymo’s autonomous vehicles stalled at intersections citywide. This failure caused substantial traffic jams during the blackout. Musk claimed Tesla’s technology operated without any issues. He posted comparative videos on his social media platform. One video showed multiple motionless Waymo vehicles. Another video displayed a Tesla navigating normally.
Furthermore, the widespread power outage affected many city residents. Approximately one hundred thirty thousand customers lost electricity. A fire at a utility substation caused the major disruption. Waymo proactively paused its ride-hailing service accordingly. The company confirmed this temporary suspension publicly. Its vehicles treat dead traffic lights as four-way stops. However, this particular power outage incident created unusual gridlock. Many cars remained stopped far longer than necessary.
Moreover, Waymo addressed the situation with a formal statement. The company acknowledged the significant infrastructure failure completely. Officials stated their technology should adjust to traffic flow. They also committed to learning from this specific event. The power outage incident provides valuable operational data. Waymo will integrate these lessons into its systems rapidly. Service has now resumed across the San Francisco area.
Additionally, Musk used the event for competitive promotion clearly. His comments reignite the autonomous vehicle technology debate. Tesla’s Full Self-Driving system operates differently than Waymo’s. The power outage incident tested both companies’ preparedness uniquely. Industry observers will analyze each company’s response carefully. Public safety during infrastructure failures remains paramount. This event underscores the challenges facing self-driving cars. Regulatory scrutiny may increase following these traffic problems.
