Waymo stays mum on stalled robotaxi numbers and blackout timeline
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Waymo is facing scrutiny after a widespread power outage in San Francisco led to stalled driverless vehicles. Photo: Dan Hernandez/San Francisco Chronicle via Getty Images
Waymo remained tight-lipped Friday in public remarks to state regulators after a widespread electricity blackout crippled the company's self-driving fleet last month.
Why it matters: Friday's conference before the California Public Utilities Commission (CPUC), which oversees autonomous vehicle (AV) deployment, comes as Waymo faces scrutiny for the congestion and obstruction its stranded vehicles caused after traffic lights lost power.
- It's the latest salvo in the long-simmering battle between AV companies and their critics in San Francisco.
Driving the news: The conference opened with officials asking Waymo about the (unmanned) elephant in the room.
- A "small number of instances" occurred during the December blackout when stalled vehicles obstructed first responder vehicles, Waymo representative Jack Stoddard told the commission.
- But he largely reiterated the company's previous statement — that the spike in requests for remote assistance during the outage created a backlog that led to delays and congestion. (The vehicles are programmed to request a confirmation check in cases of dark traffic lights.)
Friction point: But when pressed about the number of stalled vehicles and timeline of events, Stoddard declined to provide additional information, citing the need for confidentiality due to "trade secret" concerns.
- His response elicited some skeptical chuckles from a handful of audience members. Waymo is "refining its approach ... to help avoid future similar events," Stoddard added. He declined to take questions from reporters after the conference.
- "We are continuing to review this event and gathering more complete information," the company said in a statement to Axios.
The other side: Representatives of the California Gig Workers Union, represented by the Service Employees' International Union (SEIU) Local 1021, used the conference to demand clear standards for road safety violations and emergency response incidents, including suspensions of AV companies' operating permits in cases of dangerous interactions.
- Rideshare driver Joseph Augusto testified that he was stuck in heavy rain behind a stalled Waymo in the middle of the road during the outage, and that "there was no driver, no quick response."
- SEIU Local 1021 staffer Cindy Reyes also emphasized the need for public disclosures of investigations into Waymo incidents, challenging Stoddard's confidentiality claims.
Zoom out: The union rallied outside CPUC headquarters before the conference, shouting "protect our streets" to periodic honking from cars driving by.
- The need for safeguards is only going to increase with Waymos becoming more aggressive, noted Uber and Lyft driver Travis Baird. He told Axios he has seen Waymos cutting drivers off and veering across lanes.
Between the lines: The union, which has advocated for greater protections for rideshare drivers amid the expansion of self-driving cars, is seizing the moment to highlight what it calls an alarming lack of accountability from operators amid anxiety about potential job losses.
- Uber and Lyft driver Hector Castellanos told Axios he believes California should limit the percentage of self-driving cars among the state's rideshare vehicles to 5%.
What's next: San Francisco is gathering information about the stalled Waymos' impact on first responders, according to deputy city attorney Misha Tsukerman.
- The Board of Supervisors is also holding a to-be-scheduled hearing on the blackout.
Editor's note: This story has been updated with a comment from Waymo.