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Tesla engineering job openings are up 243% in Q1 2018 compared to 2017

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Data gathered by professional networking website LinkedIn recently revealed that Tesla has been ramping up its hiring efforts, especially for its engineering jobs. During the first quarter of 2018, Tesla had 865 engineering-related job openings, a 243% increase from the same period last year.

According to LinkedIn editor Queenie Wong, the sudden influx of engineering job openings at Tesla might seem radical, but it should not come as a shock. Tesla, after all, is currently engaged in its most ambitious project yet — mass producing its most disruptive vehicle to date, the Model 3. Considering that Tesla is showing no signs of slowing down, and the company’s plans of expanding its vehicle lineup to the Model Y, Semi, next-gen Roadster, and a yet-to-be-named truck, the company needs an ever-growing workforce to support its goals.

In a statement to LinkedIn, Autotrader and Kelley Blue Book executive publisher Karl Brauer noted that Tesla’s nature of being part tech company and part carmaker means that it is always hungry for talent, particularly in the engineering department.

“Some argue that Tesla is a tech company while others argue it’s an automaker, but it’s certainly at the crossroads of those two. It’s not surprising that they’re very hungry for talented engineering individuals who can help them get to where they want to go,” Brauer said.

According to SAE International chief product officer Frank Menchaca, the engineers that Tesla is looking for must have multiple skills in emerging technologies. In a posting for a design engineer opening, for example, the Elon Musk-led company wrote that the position requires someone who can function as a “hybrid of a mechanical engineer, software engineer, and electrical engineer” who has strong competencies in manufacturing concepts.

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“Those skill sets are around the ability for engineers to integrate software, cybersecurity and user experience, that if you dial the clock back 20 years, traditional mechanical engineers didn’t have to think about,” Menchaca said.

Overall, it is this dynamic nature of Tesla that appears to be incredibly attractive to applicants, and why the company made LinkedIn’s list of top companies that American professionals like to work for. Tesla outranked some of the world’s largest brands like Apple and Disney, with LinkedIn tracking 500,000 job applicants to the company over 2017.

Back in January, Elon Musk personally extended an invitation to interested applicants who would like to work in Gigafactory 1 using his personal Twitter account. Earlier last month, Tesla also posted an opening for a Mechanical Design Engineer for the Model Y, the company’s upcoming crossover SUV that’s expected to start production in 2019. Tesla’s Gigafactory 2 in Buffalo, a facility designed to produce the company’s Solar Roof tiles and photovoltaic panels, is also ramping up hiring. The company is expected to hold five information sessions over the next month.

Simon is an experienced automotive reporter with a passion for electric cars and clean energy. Fascinated by the world envisioned by Elon Musk, he hopes to make it to Mars (at least as a tourist) someday. For stories or tips--or even to just say a simple hello--send a message to his email, simon@teslarati.com or his handle on X, @ResidentSponge.

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Elon Musk hints at when Tesla can fix this FSD complaint with v14

Tesla has worked on resolving the issue and has worked on it with subsequent rollouts, but it has only improved slightly. The company has mentioned that it is working to fix it completely, but it seems the next big Software Update to actually resolve the issue altogether will likely be 14.2.

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Credit: Tesla

Tesla CEO Elon Musk hinted at when the company will resolve a major complaint with the Full Self-Driving suite. This particular issue has been persistent and a common complaint within the v14 suite.

Tesla has had its v14 FSD rollout deployed for over a month, and its earliest iterations featured a vast majority of improvements from the past versions. However, one common complaint has continued to be mentioned: stuttering and hesitancy.

Tesla Full Self-Driving’s biggest improvements from v13 to v14

Most commonly, FSD users have experienced this at intersections when the Tesla is at a complete stop. The vehicle will inch forward, contemplate proceeding, and then stutter pretty significantly before ultimately moving forward.

Tesla has worked on resolving the issue and has worked on it with subsequent rollouts, but it has only improved slightly. The company has mentioned that it is working to fix it completely, but it seems the next big Software Update to actually resolve the issue altogether will likely be 14.2.

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Musk confirmed that on Wednesday:

When will v14.2 rollout? It’s likely a month or more away. Currently, Tesla is rolling out v14.1.7, which is the latest version and features some minor improvements to Hardware 4 vehicles.

These cars are currently on v14.1.4, but are not receiving v14.1.5 or v14.1.6, as both of those seemed to be internal releases to company employees.

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The stuttering issue has been a main complaint of many FSD users, and it is something that is being addressed. Musk’s confirmation that the suite is likely to receive a fix for this issue with the next major FSD release is a sign of good things to come, but we’re hopeful it comes sooner rather than later.

Overall, v14 has been an excellent improvement from v13 with the addition of the additional Speed Profiles of Mad Max and Sloth, as well as new Arrival Options that give the driver an opportunity to let the car park in a suitable location upon arriving at the destination.

@teslarati 🚨🚨 Tesla Full Self-Driving and Yap is the best driving experience #tesla #fsd #yapping ♬ I Run – HAVEN.

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Tesla teases new market entrance with confusing and cryptic message

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(Credit: Tesla)

Tesla teased its entrance into a new market with a confusing and what appeared to be cryptic message on the social media platform X.

The company has been teasing its entrance into several markets, including Africa, which would be a first, and South America, where it only operates in Chile.

In September, Tesla started creating active job postings for the Colombian market, hinting it would expand its presence in South America and launch in a new country for the first time in two years.

Tesla job postings seem to show next surprise market entry

The jobs were related to various roles, including Associate Sales Manager, Advisors in Sales and Delivery, and Service Technicians. These are all roles that would indicate Tesla is planning to launch a wide-scale effort to sell, manage, and repair vehicles in the market.

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Last night, Tesla posted its latest hint, a cryptic video that seems to show the outline of Colombia, teasing its closer than ever to market entry:

This would be the next expansion into a continent where it does not have much of a presence for Tesla. Currently, there are only two Supercharger locations on the entire continent, and they’re both in Chile.

Tesla will obviously need to expand upon this crucial part of the ownership experience to enable a more confident consumer base in South America as a whole. However, it is not impossible, as many other EV charging infrastructures are available, and home charging is always a suitable option for those who have access to it.

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Surprisingly, Tesla seems to be more concerned about these middle-market countries as opposed to the larger markets in South America, but that could be by design.

If Tesla were to launch in Brazil initially, it may not be able to handle the uptick in demand, and infrastructure expansion could be more difficult. Brazil may be on its list in the upcoming years, but not as of right now.

@teslarati 🚨🚨 Tesla Full Self-Driving and Yap is the best driving experience #tesla #fsd #yapping ♬ I Run – HAVEN.

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Tesla expands crucial Supercharging feature for easier access

It is a useful tool, especially during hours of congestion. However, it has not been super effective for those who drive non-Tesla EVs, as other OEMs use UI platforms like Google’s Android Auto or Apple’s iOS.

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tesla supercharger
Credit: Tesla

Tesla has expanded a crucial Supercharging feature that helps owners identify stall availability at nearby locations.

Tesla said on Tuesday night that its “Live Availability” feature, which shows EV owners how many stalls are available at a Supercharger station, to Google Maps, a third-party app:

Already offering it in its own vehicles, the Live Availability feature that Teslas have is a helpful feature that helps you choose an appropriate station with plugs that are immediately available.

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A number on an icon where the Supercharger is located lets EV drivers know how many stalls are available.

It is a useful tool, especially during hours of congestion. However, it has not been super effective for those who drive non-Tesla EVs, as other OEMs use UI platforms like Google’s Android Auto or Apple’s iOS.

Essentially, when those drivers needed to charge at a Supercharger that enables non-Tesla EVs to plug in, there was a bit more of a gamble. There was no guarantee that a plug would be available, and with no way to see how many are open, it was a risk.

Tesla adding this feature allows people to have a more convenient and easier-to-use experience if they are in a non-Tesla EV. With the already expansive Supercharger Network being available to so many EV owners, there is more congestion than ever.

This new feature makes the entire experience better for all owners, especially as there is more transparency regarding the availability of plugs at Supercharger stalls.

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It will be interesting to see if Tesla is able to expand on this new move, as Apple Maps compatibility is an obvious goal of the company’s in the future, we could imagine. In fact, this is one of the first times an Android Auto feature is available to those owners before it became an option for iOS users.

Apple owners tend to get priority with new features within the Tesla App itself.

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