Tesla Accelerates Nationwide Robotaxi Expansion
After launching its first robotaxi in Austin, Texas in June, Tesla has been expanding the service area.
The Wall Street Journal (WSJ) reported on the 13th (local time) that Tesla recently posted a job opening in New York to recruit data collection specialists for its robotaxi operations. These specialists will ride in prototype fully autonomous robotaxis and collect various data, including video footage of New York City, to help train Tesla’s Autopilot self-driving technology.
Last year, New York City introduced a permit system for operating autonomous vehicles. Companies that obtain permits are required to have a safety driver on board who can manually control the vehicle if necessary.
According to Tesla’s job posting, the data collection specialists will be based in the Flushing area of Queens, New York, and the pay is up to $30.60 per hour. Since launching its robotaxi service in Texas in June, Tesla has also been recruiting data collection specialists in California and Florida.
Elon Musk, Tesla’s CEO, said during the second-quarter earnings announcement last month, “Assuming regulatory approval, we expect to provide autonomous vehicle ride-hailing services to about half of the U.S. population by the end of this year.” If the robotaxi service launches in New York, the most populous city in the United States, it is expected to significantly help Musk achieve his goal.
However, it has been reported that Tesla has not yet applied to New York City authorities for a permit to test autonomous vehicles. Tesla has submitted an application to the authorities in Phoenix, Arizona for robotaxi testing and operations, and is currently in discussions with Nevada officials for robotaxi testing as well.
In addition, Tesla is reportedly planning to open its limited robotaxi service in Austin to the public starting next month. Musk stated, “Although the robotaxi service is currently operating on a limited scale in its early stages, our camera-only autonomous driving approach-trained on data collected from millions of vehicles worldwide-will continue to improve safety, rapidly expand the network, and increase profitability.”
Meanwhile, Waymo, which is competing with Tesla in the robotaxi market, applied for a permit to enter New York in June and is currently collecting data in the city.
© The Asia Business Daily(www.asiae.co.kr). All rights reserved.
