GE Aerospace has announced completion of ground testing of a megawatt-class hybrid electric engine system developed under NASA’s Electrified Powertrain Flight Demonstration (EPFD) project, with the public milestone disclosed on 30 May 2026. The campaign represents GE Aerospace’s first validation of a fully integrated hybrid electric powertrain, combining a CT7 turboprop engine with GE-developed motor/generators, power converters and inverters, and control systems.
The test configuration also incorporated Dowty propellers and Avio Aero gearboxes in an architecture designed to drive a propeller using electric power in combination with the CT7. Conducted at GE Aerospace’s Evendale, Ohio facility, the work generated integration and control data to prepare for flight tests on a modified aircraft under the EPFD program.
NASA and GE position the megawatt-class system as a technology pathfinder for future regional and single-aisle commercial applications, with NASA indicating that performance from related hybrid engine work could potentially support aircraft in the 30–70 passenger range.