Newark Airport to test self-driving shuttle buses this spring
Image courtesy of Oceaneering on the Port Authority of New York and New Jersey’s Flickr
Self-driving shuttle buses are coming to Newark Liberty International Airport (EWR) this spring, with the Port Authority of New York and New Jersey launching a pilot program to test the technology. The agency announced Wednesday that it has partnered with three autonomous vehicle companies to operate electric self-driving shuttles at the airport through the spring, with each company conducting two-week test periods in a section of the airport currently closed to the public as part of its ongoing redevelopment. The Port Authority will evaluate whether the shuttles could serve as an effective way to transport passengers between existing airport facilities and the new AirTrain system currently under construction.
“Autonomous vehicles are in use around the world and around the country, and they are part of the modern travel experience whether in a private car, a for-hire vehicle or on public transit,” Kathryn Garcia, executive director of Port Authority, said.
“We are building a new Newark Liberty that meets the demands of the next generation of travel, so we must embrace a future that is inclusive of all the different ways we can move this region.”
Zero-emission vehicles from three firms, Oceaneering, Ohmio, and Glydways, will be tested in a simulation of a high-capacity shuttle network, with multiple vehicles operating simultaneously in a complex airport environment.
Oceaneering will begin testing in March, followed by Ohmio later that month and Glydways in May. The trials are intended to qualify participating firms to respond to a formal request for proposals that the Port Authority may issue in 2027.
The pilot program follows an October 2024 request for innovation, which invited proposals from companies capable of delivering an electric, autonomous transportation network. Firms were asked to outline how they would operate a system connecting two locations roughly 2,500 feet apart over a five-year period.
Evaluation included scored submissions and interviews with leading candidates, with each firm also participating in adverse weather testing earlier this winter to assess vehicle performance in snow and cold-weather conditions.
Since July 2022, the Port Authority has been testing self-driving technology, successfully piloting autonomous platooning and lane-keeping systems on retrofitted buses in its Exclusive Bus Lane, which streamlines travel into and out of the Lincoln Tunnel during rush hours.
The effort also builds on a series of autonomous vehicle demonstrations conducted at other Port Authority airports, including John F. Kennedy International Airport in 2022, 2023, and summer 2025. A self-driving shuttle was also tested in mixed traffic at EWR in 2023 and again in 2024.
The program is intended to complement the $3.5 billion revamp of the airport’s AirTrain system, which is nearing the end of its useful life and struggling to accommodate the airport’s growing number of passengers. The upgraded AirTrain is a central element of the broader EWR Vision Plan, a long-term effort to rebuild the airport that also includes a new Terminal B, improvements to Terminal C, and upgrades to the airport’s complex roadway network.
“We have been working with self-driving technology successfully for many years, particularly at the airports, and believe autonomous shuttles offer a safe, efficient solution for moving passengers while we concurrently work to build a new AirTrain Newark and the brand-new Terminal B,” Kevin O’Toole, chairman of the Port Authority, said.
According to the Port Authority, autonomous vehicles could provide a “safer, more efficient, and more cost-effective solution” than traditional buses. The agency also plans to test conventional electric buses during the airport’s redevelopment.
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