That’s like „sitting next to a server in a datacenter to write backend software“ - nobody does that.
Maybe they worked on factory automation software and Workflows - then it makes sense. But for normal software development you do it in an office or a lab with all hardware components you need attached to a test bed and others simulated. Then once in a while some release software will be flashes on a prototype car and taken for a test drive. But not on any arbitrary car leaving the factory. There are strict regulations about prototype cars.
Source: Worked 10 years on automotive software at a car manufacturer (not Tesla)
"sitting next to a server in a datacenter to write backend software"
Again, I've worked places where people do this. More precisely it was storage array software, but we had an onsite datacenter and people were live dev-testing redundancy capabilities, etc.
I think I just gravitate to workplaces where I have some physical access to the systems I'm writing code for.
I worked less on automotive software at a Swedish vehicle manufacturer, most of the work was done in office environments and tested on emulators and simulators but it was definitely not rare to sit for days in a vehicle and tweak the software.
Maybe they worked on factory automation software and Workflows - then it makes sense. But for normal software development you do it in an office or a lab with all hardware components you need attached to a test bed and others simulated. Then once in a while some release software will be flashes on a prototype car and taken for a test drive. But not on any arbitrary car leaving the factory. There are strict regulations about prototype cars.
Source: Worked 10 years on automotive software at a car manufacturer (not Tesla)