Waymo will use human-driven tests at Newark Liberty International Airport ahead of full autonomy

Waymo is preparing for full driverless trips

Waymo plans to use cars with human drivers at Newark Liberty International Airport in 2025 to test its systems before offering fully driverless taxi rides. This testing collects key information about the airport’s busy roads and traffic signals. Waymo is working with the Port Authority of New York and New Jersey on these initial drives.

The primary goal of these human-led drives is to build a precise three-dimensional map of the entire airport area. This map features detailed data, including lane lines and curb heights. This work prepares the Waymo Driver software for complex, high-automation travel in dense environments.

Waymo uses an all electric car for its service

This focus on advanced technology continues with the selection of the main passenger car Waymo uses, the Jaguar I-PACE, which is an all-electric luxury sport utility vehicle. This premium car is part of the testing fleet at Newark Airport in 2025.

Waymo originally announced in 2018 a plan for up to 20,000 Jaguar I-PACE vehicles. As of 2025, Waymo operates 1,500 Jaguars and plans to add about 2,000 more by 2026 via its Mesa, Arizona, integration plant

Why Newark airport is a difficult driving location

The need for highly sophisticated cars like the I-PACE is highlighted by the fact that airport environments are among the most challenging places for any self-driving system, making them ideal test spots for Waymo’s technology. Newark has complex, multilane roads and frequently changing temporary construction zones.

A significant difficulty is safely navigating the curb-side zones where people frequently walk near moving cars. The Waymo car needs to share the road safely with pedestrians who may not follow crossing signs.

The Waymo driver is the brain of the car

The system managing these complex environments is the core technology that enables Waymo cars to drive autonomously, known as the Waymo Driver —a powerful combination of sensors and artificial intelligence. This advanced onboard computer system acts as the car’s brain.

It quickly processes sensor information to understand its surroundings and make informed, safe driving decisions in real-time. This technology is designed to operate as a cautious and defensive driver. It is programmed never to exceed speed limits or be distracted, which helps improve safety over human driving.

Lidar sensors act like the car’s eyes at night

Part of the Waymo Driver’s perceptive ability comes from Lidar, which uses laser light to create a precise three-dimensional view of the environment. Lidar sends out millions of laser pulses every second and measures the time it takes for them to return after hitting an object.

This process creates a detailed map. Lidar sensors are effective in all light conditions, enabling the Waymo car to see clearly in both complete darkness and bright sunlight. Waymo’s 5th-gen lidar offers >300 m range; its cameras can identify scene details beyond 500 m; Jaguar I-PACEs carry 29 cameras.

Cameras give the car a high definition view

In addition to Lidar, Waymo cars, such as the Jaguar I-PACE, are equipped with a complex vision system that includes up to 29 high-definition cameras. These cameras provide the Waymo Driver with a simultaneous 360-degree view of the road.

The system utilizes these cameras to clearly identify smaller objects, such as traffic signs and different lane markings. This visual information is crucial for the Waymo Driver to identify objects, such as people or traffic signals, even at distances exceeding 500 meters.

Radar helps see through bad weather

Completing the sensor fusion package, the Waymo Driver system also utilizes radar, another crucial sensor that detects objects using radio waves. Radar measures an object’s distance, speed, and direction, giving the autonomous car important details about surrounding traffic.

This system complements the Lidar and camera sensors. Radar is highly effective for seeing through harsh weather conditions, such as heavy rain, thick fog, or snow, where cameras and Lidar may be less effective.

Testing ensures the self driving system is safe

The result of integrating these sophisticated sensors is Waymo’s systematic testing process, which begins with human drivers in Newark, designed to ensure the highest safety standards before transitioning to full driverless operation. The company has already driven tens of millions of miles on public roads and over 20 billion miles in computer simulations.

Recent peer-reviewed and company-released analyses show large reductions in injury-causing crashes versus human drivers (varies by dataset and miles).

Built in redundancy ensures critical systems never fail

The exceptional safety record noted in the testing results is secured by built-in redundancy that integrates key components into the vehicle’s hardware layer. This approach includes backup systems for crucial functions, such as power supply and computing platforms, ensuring fault tolerance and system reliability.

Specifically, the Jaguar I PACE cars are outfitted with redundant braking and steering actuators. These separate motion control systems guarantee that the vehicle can safely pull over or stop, even if a primary hardware component fails during the ride.

Passenger screens provide real time ride control

When riding in a car secured by these safety redundancies, passengers interact with the Waymo Driver using the dedicated in-car passenger screen. This interface serves as the control panel, where riders must tap the “START RIDE” button to initiate the fully autonomous journey after buckling up.

The screen also allows for comfort adjustments, enabling riders to set the cabin temperature between 59°F and 83°F (15 °C and 28°C). Additionally, the pull-over button will enable riders to safely command the vehicle to stop if needed during the ride.

Remote support ensures non driving interruptions are handled

If a ride interruption occurs, remote support is immediately activated; however, the support team explicitly does not remotely take control of the car’s physical operation. Instead, the team immediately contacts the rider through the in-car speakers if the autonomous system needs external guidance.

Waymo’s fleet response assists the vehicle but does not remotely drive it; if needed, roadside staff can provide in-person assistance, while the Waymo Driver remains in control.

The Chrysler Pacifica minivans pioneered commercial service

The ability to launch commercial service was first enabled by the Chrysler Pacifica Hybrid minivan fleet, which preceded the Jaguar I PACE. The company partnered with FCA to deploy thousands of Pacifica minivans, which launched the initial Waymo One service. FCA first delivered 100 self-driving adapted minivans during the second half of 2016.

An additional 500 hybrid Pacifica minivans were integrated into the fleet during 2017, providing the necessary scale for the first commercial deployment in Phoenix. These minivans were the first production-based vehicles to achieve Level 4 autonomy on public roads without a human driver.

Waymo plans to rapidly scale up its I PACE fleet

Building on the success of the Pacifica rollout, Waymo is rapidly expanding its current fleet of approximately 1,500 Jaguar I-PACE electric vehicles across its operational cities. The company plans to outfit 2,000 more I-PACE cars with autonomous technology by the end of 2026.

This fleet expansion is supported by the Waymo Driver Integration Plant located in Mesa, Arizona. This dedicated factory is responsible for installing the full sensor and compute stack into the new Jaguar chassis before they enter customer service.

The service is operational in five major US cities

The scalability provided by this integration plant supports Waymo’s goal of operating its commercial robotaxi service in five major US metropolitan areas.

These operational domains encompass major service areas in Phoenix, San Francisco, and Los Angeles, representing the company’s established markets. Waymo offers public, paid rides in Austin and Atlanta via the Uber app (the Waymo One app is not used in these markets).

Future expansion targets Washington DC Dallas and Miami

To continue this growth, Waymo has publicly announced plans to launch services in three more major markets starting in 2026. This next phase of deployment includes the cities of Miami, Florida, and Dallas, Texas, marking its commitment to the southeastern and central US markets.

The third targeted expansion city announced for 2026 is Washington, DC, marking a significant regulatory and logistical challenge for the autonomous system.

Curious who’s really winning the driverless race? Find out in Waymo and Tesla battle for robotaxi dominance in Austin, Texas.

Waymo One has provided over ten million autonomous rides

The commercial Waymo One service has completed more than 10 million autonomous driverless trips for passengers across all its operational cities. This high volume of service demonstrates significant public adoption and trust in the system’s operational efficiency.

Waymo reports over 250,000 paid trips per week across its U.S. markets and more than 10 million total rides to date; a California-only monthly figure isn’t supported by published data. This acceleration in ride volume provides the massive real-world data needed to refine the Waymo Driver AI continually.

Want to see how Waymo sped past Tesla after its reveal? Take a look at Waymo launches Atlanta Robotaxis right after Tesla’s big reveal.

Would you trust a driverless taxi at the airport? Share your thoughts below.

Read More From This Brand:

• Waymo Targets New YorkUSy as Its Next Big Move
• U.S. ends Waymo investigation after self-driving crashes and odd behavior
• Why Protesters Are Setting Fire to Waymo’s Self-Driving Cars in L.A.

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This slideshow was made with AI assistance and human editing.