Tesla appears to be preparing for a Robotaxi launch in Chicago, with new job listings pointing to the company’s next big market for its autonomous ride-hailing service. The electric carmaker has posted openings for Autopilot Vehicle Operators in the city, suggesting expanded testing is underway ahead of commercial availability.
Tesla started piloting its Robotaxi service in Austin, Texas, back in June. The company has since grown its Austin coverage area multiple times and brought Robotaxis to the San Francisco Bay Area in July.
While the Austin service currently offers driverless rides with a safety monitor onboard, Tesla still has human drivers behind the wheel in San Francisco. It remains unclear which version of the service Chicago will get, but it will likely depend on what local regulators approve.
This expansion will further Elon Musk’s plan to eventually cover half the U.S. population with Tesla Robotaxis as the company pushes into what he projects to be a $10 trillion global market. “It will change the look of the roads,” Musk said Wednesday evening on X, sharing renders of Tesla’s upcoming purpose-built Cybercab, designed specifically for autonomous ride-hailing.
Beyond Chicago, Tesla job listings have also hinted at potential Robotaxi deployments in Brooklyn, Houston, Farmers Branch, Tempe, Henderson, Tampa, Clermont, Miami, and Palo Alto. The company’s momentum comes as Musk also confirmed that Tesla’s Austin Robotaxi beta will open to the general public sometime next month.
With new markets lining up, all eyes are now on how quickly Tesla can win over regulators and bring its autonomous fleet from pilot programs into wider public use.
