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GE Aerospace announced on Monday that it has completed a ground test of a commercial hybrid electric engine demonstrator.
Ground testing for the modified Passport engine was completed in 2025 at Peebles Test Operation as part of NASA's Turbofan Engine Power Extraction Demonstration project. The narrowbody hybrid electric architecture will have an electric motor embedded in a gas turbine engine, which will supplement power during different phases of operation. GE claims that the design creates a system that can work with or without energy storage and optimizes performance.
"Hybrid electric propulsion is central to how GE Aerospace is redefining the future of flight," said Arjan Hegeman, VP of future of flight for GE Aerospace. "Our latest milestone successfully demonstrated a narrowbody hybrid electric engine architecture that doesn't require energy storage to operate. It's a critical step to making hybrid electric flight a reality for commercial aviation with technologies that meet customer needs for greater efficiency, durability, and range."
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NASA's performance benchmarks are based on industry input about engine capabilities and GE Aerospace claims to have exceeded them. The company states that the engine should provide meaningful fuel cost savings for U.S. aviation and meet the power requirements of future aircraft.