Engines
GE Completes Hybrid-electric Engine Demonstrator Ground Test
Work is aimed at developing future narrowbody airliner powertrains
GE Aerospace commercial hybrid-electric engine demonstrator
GE Aerospace’s commercial hybrid-electric engine demonstrator was tested at its site in Peebles, Ohio. © GE Aerospace

GE Aerospace has conducted its first ground test of a commercial hybrid-electric engine demonstrator as part of its work to develop new reduced-emissions powertrains for future narrowbody airliners. On January 26, the company announced that the NASA-backed work had successfully demonstrated power transfer, extraction, and injection in a high-bypass turbofan.

The ground testing using a modified Passport business jet engine was completed in 2025 at GE’s facility in Peebles, Ohio. As part of NASA’s Turbofan Engine Power Extraction Demonstration project, the test has provided a more advanced understanding of the hybrid-electric system’s integration and controls than could be ascertained from the standalone components.