Tesla Inc. appears to be escalating hiring efforts ahead of beginning production on its long-awaited Cybercab.
The Austin-based electric automaker posted at least 30 new positions tied to Cybercab production, with the majority of those directly focused on vehicle manufacturing.
The new listings come about a week after CEO Elon Musk told investors in an earnings call that Tesla would begin “volume production” of the two-seater autonomous robotaxi in 2026.
Prior to the new listings, which are mainly for technicians related to Cybercab’s drive units, battery packs, general assembly and vehicle production lines, Tesla only had about three openings related to Cybercab.
All the positions are in Austin, suggesting that Cybercab’s production will take place largely at Tesla’s Gigafactory Texas facility located just outside of the city.
Musk has previously claimed Cybercab will be the company’s “highest-volume vehicle” yet, with Tesla targeting an annual production rate of about 2 million units. Musk said Cybercab’s production line “doesn’t look like a normal car manufacturing line.”
He has also said it will move so fast that normal people and technicians cannot get close to it.
Tesla’s billionaire CEO has long touted the company’s two-seater robotaxi, which will not have pedals or a wheel, for several years. But when Tesla rolled out its robotaxi ride-hailing service in Austin earlier this year, the company was using its familiar Model Y.
Since its launch earlier this year, Tesla’s robotaxi service has included safety moderators in the front passenger seat. However, Elon Musk announced last week that these moderators will be removed from Austin-based robotaxis in the coming weeks.