Tesla is looking to hire over 800 workers in the U.S. for various roles ranging from construction and manufacturing to artificial intelligence and robotics. This comes three months after initiating widespread layoffs.
In April, Tesla started laying off thousands of employees across its global operations, impacting nearly every division. Notably, at least six high-ranking executives, including the senior director of human resources and the senior vice president of powertrain and energy, left the company as the layoffs began.
Approximately 14% of Tesla’s workforce, or about 19,600 employees, were let go according to CNBC. The company also appeared to impose a hiring freeze, removing thousands of job postings multiple times since the layoffs started.
“With [Tesla’s] rapid growth, there has been duplication of roles and job functions in certain areas,” CEO Elon Musk stated in a message to employees explaining the job cuts.
Now, Tesla seems prepared to onboard new talent. According to Bloomberg News, which first reported the openings, the new positions have gradually appeared on Tesla’s careers webpage over recent weeks.
At least 64 positions relate to AI and robotics projects, including Tesla’s Optimus robots and Dojo supercomputer. Musk has indicated Tesla will invest “well over $1 billion” in Dojo, which aims to process the vast amounts of data collected by its electric vehicles.
Musk recently highlighted the potential impact of Tesla’s Optimus robots on the company’s market value, suggesting they could add $20 trillion to its market capitalization. These robots are slated to go on sale by the end of 2025, with expected prices ranging from $20,000 to $30,000. Musk also predicted that more than 1,000 of these robots will be working at Tesla by 2025.
Tesla’s careers page also lists at least 25 jobs related to Autopilot or self-driving technology. A fleet of autonomous Tesla “robotaxis” is projected to become a significant revenue source. Musk envisions a network combining elements of Airbnb and Uber, allowing owners to opt their cars into the service as they wish.
However, Tesla has postponed its planned technology unveiling by two months, now rescheduled for October. Musk mentioned he requested an “important design change to the front,” noting the additional time permits Tesla to showcase “a few other things.”
These developments align with Musk’s long-held belief that Tesla will achieve full self-driving autonomy, a promise he has cited repeatedly over the years without fulfillment. Recently, Musk has referred to Tesla as an “AI/robotics and sustainable energy company,” rather than just an electric vehicle manufacturer.
Tesla’s career page also features numerous energy-related jobs and internships. In its second-quarter delivery report earlier this month, Tesla announced it achieved its highest quarterly deployment of energy storage products, totaling 9.4 gigawatt hours. The energy business, often overlooked, may start to play a more significant role in Tesla’s earnings and stock valuation.
Morgan Stanley analyst Adam Jonas recently wrote, “We believe investors will begin to pay more attention to Tesla Energy, which we value at $36 per Tesla share ($130 billion), as the business is uniquely positioned to benefit from investment in the U.S. electric grid accelerated by the AI boom.”