The teleoperations system is seen as a crucial element for the rollout of self-driving cars on public roads, with companies like Waymo already using such systems. Tesla has previously used remote operators for its Optimus bots, but the requirements for robotaxis would be different, including a user interface similar to driving controls and robust communication over wide areas. It is unclear whether the teleoperations team will assist only the robotaxis or also regular Tesla vehicles.
Key takeaways:
- Tesla is hiring a software engineer to develop a teleoperations system that will allow human operators to remotely control the company's upcoming robotaxis and humanoid robots.
- The existence of this teleoperations team signals that Tesla is serious about deploying its robotaxis on public roads and marks a deviation from Tesla’s previous rhetoric of self-sufficiency.
- Teleoperations are regarded as an essential building block for rolling out self-driving cars on public roads, and Tesla has previously used remote operators for its Optimus bots.
- Elon Musk hopes to launch a service that will let people hail self-driving Teslas in California and Texas sometime in 2025, and production of the robotaxi prototype is expected to begin in 2026 or 2027.