Tesla Hints At NYC Ride-Hailing With New Autopilot Job Posting

Tesla Inc. is looking to hire someone to test its driver-assistance technology on the streets of New York City, suggesting the carmaker could be looking to expand its ride-hailing services to the largest US metropolis.

A new job listing in Tesla’s Autopilot operations seeks a driver for a prototype vehicle that would gather data for as much as eight hours a day. The full-time gig, based in the Queens borough of the city, calls for someone familiar with autonomous driving systems and could pay more than $30 an hour.

Tesla is seeking to expand its driverless-taxi service across the country following a limited launch in June in Austin, where the company is headquartered. It recently started some ride-hailing operations around San Francisco with human safety monitors in the driver’s seat, and has indicated plans to move to areas including Nevada and Arizona.

Investors are keeping a close watch on the pace of Tesla’s robotaxi expansion, which some see as a key growth driver in the future. Chief Executive Officer Elon Musk is reorienting the company around advanced technology including driverless cars and artificial intelligence as its electric-vehicle business struggles with falling sales.

While the new job posting doesn’t specify a link to the robotaxi business, data collection is often an initial step toward beginning autonomous ride-hailing services.

Waymo, the driverless-taxi operator owned by Alphabet Inc., announced last month that it’s collecting data in New York in the hopes of launching in the city. The cars are being driven manually as the company seeks a permit from the New York City Department of Transportation that would allow it to test autonomous technology with a human safety monitor.

New York state law requires an operator to be present while autonomous technology is in use.