Tesla is paying people in a Chicago suburb to test drive its vehicles.
According to a job posting, which remained listed as of Wednesday, Tesla revealed it was looking to pay a temporary “vehicle operator” in Elgin for an expected three-month position.
“We are looking for a highly motivated self-starter to join our vehicle data collection team. The Vehicle Operator role is responsible for capturing high quality data that will contribute to the improvement of our vehicles performance,” the listing states. “This role requires a high level of flexibility, attention to detail, and ability to work in a fast-paced dynamic environment. Day/night shift positions available.”
The listing was one of just over a dozen posted in cities across the U.S.
While it’s not clear exactly why the company is looking to pay such drivers, Tesla CEO Elon Musk has said he expects to have fully autonomous vehicles this year, a pledge he has made for several years.
“The trend is very clearly toward full self-driving,” Musk said in April. “And I hesitate to say this, but I think we’ll do it this year.”
The system is being tested on public roads by as many as 400,000 Tesla owners.
It was not immediately clear which vehicles the temporary drivers would be asked to test.
