Tesla is hiring robotaxi test drivers in New York City, but company hasn't applied for permits
A job opening on Tesla's website says the company is looking to hire vehicle operators in the borough of Queens. The hires will be "responsible for driving an engineering vehicle for extended periods, conducting dynamic audio and camera data collection for testing and training purposes."
A spokesperson for the New York City Department of Transportation told CNBC on Monday that Tesla has not applied for approvals to test AVs on city streets in New York. InsideEVs, an electric vehicles news site, previously reported that Tesla was hiring test drivers for its robotaxis in Brooklyn.
Any company that obtains a permit to test AVs in New York has to keep "a trained safety driver behind the wheel, ready to take control of an AV-enabled vehicle at all times," according to the DOT spokesperson.
Tesla didn't respond to a request for comment.
Alphabet's Waymo, the robotaxi leader in North America, has applied to test its AVs in New York, but its application remains under review, the DOT said Monday.
Tesla CEO Elon Musk has been trying to sell investors on a future for his company that's built around AI and robotics, rather than sales of its existing vehicles. But Tesla still earns almost all of its revenue from sales of EVs and battery energy storage systems.
Tesla's EV sales have been on the decline this year, especially in Europe, partly due to Musk's decision to focus on the Cybertruck, rather than producing a more affordable EV with mainstream appeal. Some of the company's struggles are the result of a political backlash against Tesla because of Musk's incendiary political rhetoric, work with President Donald Trump, and endorsements of Germany's anti-immigrant AfD party.
Along with its recruiting efforts in Queens, Tesla is also seeking to hire test drivers for its Autopilot team to gather data from drives in cities and suburbs of Dallas, Houston, Tampa, Orlando and Miami, as well as Palo Alto, California, home to Tesla's engineering headquarters.
The current listings on Tesla's website say Autopilot vehicle operators may need to travel to international and domestic destinations and must be familiar with "automated driving systems," suggesting planned or ongoing testing of Tesla's robotaxi and FSD or Full Self Driving system, currently marketed as FSD Unsupervised in the U.S.
Tesla notched a win in Texas last week, obtaining a permit to run a ride-hailing service in the state. The Tesla Robotaxi LLC permit and state regulations do not require Tesla to keep a human safety driver on board.
However, Tesla has been operating a fleet of robotaxis in Austin since late June, with employees riding in the front passenger seat, tasked with manually intervening during a trip if necessary. The service has only been accessible to invited users. Musk said in a post on X over the weekend that he intends for the Austin service to open to the general public next month.
In San Francisco, Tesla is also operating a limited, manned car service but promoting it as "autonomous ride-hailing."
Musk posted last week that the company is "working as quickly as possible to get 100+ Teslas operating for autonomous ride-hailing (can't use the word "taxi" or "cab" in California) in the Bay Area and allow anyone to request a ride."
The company is not authorized to carry passengers on public roads in autonomous vehicles in California, the California Public Utilities Commission told CNBC in a recent email.
Tesla's approach to AVs has drawn federal probes, product liability lawsuits and recalls following injurious or damaging collisions that occurred while drivers were using the company's Autopilot or FSD systems.
The California DMV previously sued Tesla, accusing it of false advertising around its driver assistance systems.
While Tesla owners manuals say the Autopilot and FSD features in their cars are "hands on" systems that require a driver ready to steer or brake at any time, Tesla and Musk have shared statements through the years saying that a Tesla can "drive itself."
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