Waymo robotaxi on highway (archive image)Image: WaymoUntil recently, Waymo appeared to be expanding at a rapid pace. The successor to the Google Self-Driving Car Project secured 16 billion US dollars from investors at the start of the year. The company now operates its robotaxi service in eleven US cities and plans to expand into 21 more, including international launches in London and Tokyo.However, recent events suggest that progress may not be as smooth as anticipated—perhaps ‘water in the works’ is a more fitting description than sand in the gears.’ It has emerged that the AI systems in Waymo’s robotaxis are not yet fully prepared for extreme weather conditions. According to media reports, a Waymo vehicle in Atlanta drove into a flooded street on Wednesday and got stuck there for about an hour before it could be recovered. As a result, operations in Atlanta, Georgia, have been temporarily suspended. The service has also been paused in Texas due to severe weather, affecting three cities: Dallas, Houston, and San Antonio.Waymo had attempted to address the issue of flooded streets with a software update for its vehicles’ AI last week. However, the incident in Atlanta occurred after this update, prompting the company to halt operations as a precautionary measure.Waymo has also encountered difficulties on motorways, leading the company to suspend motorway rides temporarily. The affected areas include San Francisco, Los Angeles, Phoenix, and Miami. In a statement to the US blog TechCrunch, Waymo explained that this measure aims to improve the performance of its robotaxis in construction zones.The company added that it is incorporating recent technical insights into its software and expects to resume these routes soon. Waymo initially launched with city-centre rides and has offered motorway rides since November 2025. However, the AI required additional training for this, and construction zones may not have been adequately addressed during the process.techcrunch.com