Elon Musk’s Tesla is taking initial steps to bring its autonomous robotaxi service to New York City, posting jobs for prototype vehicle operators to collect data for its self-driving software.
The Wall Street Journal reports that Elon Musk’s Tesla has begun the process of expanding its robotaxi service to New York City, revealing its intentions through a recent job posting. The company is seeking to hire data collectors to drive vehicles around the city, marking an early stage in its plans to test autonomous driving software in the country’s most populous urban center.
According to the job listing, Tesla is looking for “highly motivated self-starters” to work as “prototype vehicle operators” in Flushing, Queens. These drivers will be responsible for collecting audio and video data needed to test and train the software for Tesla’s Autopilot team, which develops the technology behind its self-driving vehicles and the less advanced “Full Self-Driving (Supervised)” version available in personal vehicles. The positions pay of up to $30.60 per hour and requires a valid driver’s license.
Despite this development, it is likely that Tesla’s Robotaxi app will not be available in New York City for some time. The company has not yet applied for a permit to test autonomous vehicles in the city, according to a spokesman for the city’s Transportation Department. Last year, New York City opened a permitting process for autonomous vehicle operators, but companies that receive permits are required to have a safety driver behind the wheel, ready to take control if needed.
Tesla’s main competitor in the autonomous vehicle space, Waymo, announced its interest in the New York City market in June and has already applied for the necessary permit. Waymo aims to be the first company to begin testing self-driving cars in the city and is currently collecting driving data in preparation for its launch.
Tesla’s data collection roles in New York City are similar to positions the company is hiring for in California, Texas, and Florida as it works to expand its robotaxi ride-hailing service. The service was initially launched in Austin, Texas, in June and is currently invite-only, with plans to open to the general public in September, according to a post by Tesla CEO Elon Musk on X.
Breitbart News previously reported that Tesla robotaxis have been caught on videos driving erratically, despite being limited to a small area of the city.
In July, Tesla also started an invite-only ride-hailing app in the Bay Area, although this service utilizes human drivers as the company is not yet licensed to operate autonomous vehicles in the region. Musk has expressed optimism about the company’s progress, stating in a recent investor call, “I think we’ll probably have autonomous ride-hailing in probably half of the population of the U.S. by the end of the year.”
Read more at the Wall Street Journal here.
Lucas Nolan is a reporter for Breitbart News covering issues of free speech and online censorship.
