Self-Driving Buses Could Be Coming To NJ Airport (Here's What They Look Like)

NEWARK, NJ — These buses drive themselves.

On Wednesday, the Port Authority of New York and New Jersey announced that it will be running tests with three different companies at Newark Airport this spring.

The goal? To find out if self-driving shuttle buses are a good fit at one of the busiest airports in the Tri-State Area.

In October 2024, the Port Authority invited companies to submit proposals to build an “electric autonomous transportation network” at its facilities. Firms were asked to respond with a five-year plan detailing how they could service two locations about 2,500 feet apart – including in snow and cold weather.

Three firms were eventually selected for tests, which will be funded by the Port Authority:

• Oceaneering will be tested in March 2026
• Ohmio will be tested in late March 2026
• Glydways will be tested in May 2026

Zero-emissions vehicles from each firm will be tested separately in an area of the airport that is not publicly accessible during two-week periods. The tests are designed to simulate a high-capacity shuttle network, with multiple vehicles operating simultaneously in a “complex airport environment.”

A formal request for proposals is being considered for 2027, the Port Authority said.

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According to the Port Authority, the new technology could one day play a big role at Newark Airport. The agency said it is evaluating options to provide automated connections between the airport’s existing facilities and a new, $3.5 billion AirTrain system – which is currently under construction and scheduled to open in 2030.

• Related: Take A Sneak Peek At Newark Airport's $3.5B New AirTrain (PHOTOS)
• Related: Service Outage Coming For AirTrain At Newark Airport

In addition to Newark Airport, the Port Authority also manages JFK and LaGuardia airports in New York City.

PREVIOUS TESTS

The new wave of tests isn’t the first time that the bi-state agency has experimented with self-driving buses.

The Port Authority has been testing self-driving technology since July 2022, when the agency successfully tested autonomous platooning and lane-keeping technology on retrofitted buses in its Exclusive Bus Lane, which expedites bus travel into and out of the Lincoln Tunnel during rush hours.

In 2023, the Port Authority carried out a month-long experiment at Newark Airport in partnership with in partnership with STV and Perrone Robotics. A 14-passenger Green Power AV-Star shuttle was retrofitted with autonomous driving technology from Perrone Robotics, including sensors, cameras and mapping functionalities. It was first tested on a safety course that included simulated car and pedestrian obstacles within a closed parking lot at the airport. It then moved to nighttime testing on airport roads between the airport’s P2 Air Train/parking facility and the new Terminal A, where it navigated arrival roadways, complex merges and multiple traffic lights. The shuttle was also tested in mixed traffic during daytime hours.

According to the Port Authority, it marked the first time an autonomous vehicle took to a public road in the state of New Jersey.

The Port Authority noted that the shuttle didn’t pick up passengers, had a safety driver on board as a backup, and always traveled at a maximum speed of 35 miles per hour.

According to a Port Authority spokesperson, STV/Perrone could potentially participate in any formal request for proposals. However, they did not submit a proposal for the request for innovation – which helps to pre-qualify firms.

>> Read More: Robotic Shuttle Van Drives Itself Around Newark Airport (VIDEOS)

Meanwhile, the Port Authority has also been experimenting with self-driving shuttle buses at JFK Airport in New York City.

In 2023, two Ohmio shuttles were tested at Parking Lot 9 at JFK. Shaped like giant lima beans with wheels, the vehicles were designed to take the place of one conventional bus that currently circles the massive lot.

More testing was done at JFK in the summer of 2024, when members of the public got a chance to ride in autonomous vehicles at long-term parking lot 9.

LOOKING TO THE FUTURE

According to Port Authority officials, autonomous vehicles are already in use at other locations around the world – and it may be time to bring them to the New Jersey-New York area.

“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,” Port Authority chair Kevin O’Toole said.

“These tests this spring will enable us to build on our knowledge and prior experiences working with self-driving shuttles and create a highly customized journey that will be unique to Newark Liberty and tailored to our passengers’ needs,” O’Toole said.

Port Authority executive director Kathryn Garcia said autonomous vehicles are in use around the world and around the country, and they will be “part of the modern travel experience” – whether in a private car, a for-hire vehicle or on public transit.

“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,” Garcia said.

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