Overview
- NASA and GE Aerospace confirmed a successful December 2025 ground test of a modified GE Passport turbofan at Peebles, Ohio, showing integrated power extraction, transfer, and injection.
- The run marked the first system-level hybrid-electric demonstration beyond prior component tests, with performance indicating potential suitability for single-aisle aircraft.
- GE reported the results met or exceeded NASA’s technical benchmarks tied to fuel savings and power needs, and both teams are now analyzing the data.
- The architecture embeds motor-generators within the gas turbine and is designed to operate without onboard batteries, a choice aimed at reducing weight and certification complexity.
- Findings advance NASA’s HyTEC goal of up to 10% lower fuel burn and feed into CFM International’s RISE effort targeting more than 20% fuel-burn improvement, with further compact-core, ground, and flight tests planned later this decade.