Tesla Now Hiring 'Skilled And Experienced' Drivers In Mumbai And Delhi For Autopilot Testing
The American electric vehicle manufacturing giant Tesla Inc., which is led by the billionaire Elon Musk, is about to enter the Indian automotive market. Recently, it has been reported that the company has started the recruitment of drivers in the major cities of Delhi and Mumbai. These drivers, who are being hired for the role of “Prototype Vehicle Operators,” will be required to test the Autopilot and Full Self-Driving technologies of the Tesla cars which will be sold in India.
Tesla is recruiting prototype vehicle drivers
These “Prototype Vehicle Operators” will be required to extensively test and collect real-world driving data in Indian driving conditions. The data collected will then help the company in calibrating the ADAS and Autopilot features offered by it on Indian roads. According to the reports, Tesla has posted job listings online, and it is seeking experienced and skilled drivers who can handle long working hours.
It has highlighted that the drivers would have to work around 5–8 hours on a single day, navigating vehicles through dense and chaotic urban traffic. As per the posting, the responsibilities of these drivers include: driving specially equipped engineering vehicles, operating audio-video recording equipment, and analyzing sensor data quality from external cameras and vision systems.
The responsibilities also include the drivers providing feedback to improve system performance. Additionally, the job listings also added that candidates should be familiar with autonomous driving tech and ADAS, and they should be comfortable working in fast-paced, performance-driven work environments.
Tesla Autopilot
For those who may not be aware, Tesla’s Autopilot includes features such as lane centering, adaptive cruise control, and traffic-aware lane changes. Also, the electric cars offered by Tesla get full self-driving capabilities as well. The Tesla FSD enables its cars to navigate through intersections, turns, and urban scenarios. However, it still requires supervision from the driver. Tesla uses Tesla Vision, which uses AI and camera-based ADAS.
Tesla Model Y spotted testing
Back in April, a test mule of the upcoming Tesla Model Y was spotted testing on Indian roads. This particular test mule was spotted on the Mumbai-Pune Expressway. Reportedly, the first two models in India from Tesla will be the mid-size SUV Model Y and the entry-level Model 3. Currently, the Model Y in international markets is offered with three variants.
However, the Indian market is expected to get the RWD and Long Range AWD variants. The former will be offered with a 59 kWh battery pack, offering a range of 455 km. It will come equipped with an electric motor capable of producing 231 bhp and 380 Nm of torque.
Tesla will also be offering the Long Range AWD variant, which will come with dual electric motors producing 441 bhp and 493 Nm of torque. The range of this model will be around 662 km, as it will get a 75–82 kWh battery pack.
Apart from the Model Y, Tesla will also be offering the Model 3 in India as well. In international markets, the Tesla Model 3 is offered in three variants: Long Range, Long Range AWD, and Performance. The rear-wheel-drive model comes with a 584 km range. Meanwhile, the Long Range AWD comes with a 557 km range. It is believed that the Model 3 will start at Rs 30 lakh.