Collins Aerospace Completes 1MW Hybrid-Electric Powertrain Test

On July 22, 2026, Collins Aerospace announced the successful completion of integrated lab testing for a 1-megawatt hybrid-electric powertrain subsystem, marking a critical milestone in the European Union’s Clean Aviation SWITCH project. The technology will now transfer to Airbus for aircraft-level integration, advancing the development of microhybridization for next-generation single-aisle commercial aircraft.

In a press release issued during the Farnborough International Air Show, the RTX business unit confirmed that the testing took place at The Grid, its electric power systems laboratory in Rockford, Illinois. The subsystems operated successfully alongside simulated aircraft and engine systems. The initiative aims to reduce fuel consumption and emissions by at least 30 percent compared to 2020 state-of-the-art aircraft, aligning with the broader goals of the Clean Aviation Joint Undertaking.

Powertrain specifications and the SWITCH project

The testing at The Grid involved an 800-volt powertrain and two 1-megawatt class motor generators integrated into a simulated Pratt & Whitney Geared Turbofan (GTF) engine. According to reporting by Aviation Week, the total power of the turbine engine being hybridized is approximately 20 megawatts, while The Grid laboratory itself possesses an 8-megawatt total power capacity.

The four-year SWITCH project, launched in January 2023 with a budget of £67.6 million ($77.1 million), represents a collaborative effort involving Collins Aerospace, Airbus, Pratt & Whitney, GKN Aerospace, and MTU Aero Engines. Kristin Smith, Vice President of Electric Power Systems at Collins Aerospace, noted the scale of the achievement.

“This is the largest integrated systems test conducted at The Grid since its opening in 2023,” Smith stated in the company release. “By combining our technology expertise with deep industry collaboration, we are demonstrating how hybrid-electric systems can significantly reduce fuel consumption for next-generation aircraft.”

Transitioning to the LEIA project and Airbus integration

With the SWITCH testing phase complete, focus now shifts to the Airbus-led Large scalE Integration demonstrator of hybrid electrical Architecture (LEIA) project. Preliminary work for LEIA began in December 2025. Collins Aerospace will act as the technical lead for energy sources, supplying scalable electric motor generators, electronic controllers, and power distribution equipment.

Future testing for the LEIA project will span multiple European sites, including facilities in Toulouse, France; Frankfurt, Germany; Cork, Ireland; Rome, Italy; and Solihull, United Kingdom. Aviation Week reports that ground demonstration tests are planned for 2027 at Airbus facilities in Toulouse, utilizing a modified Airbus A400M iron bird test rig.

The technology centers on microhybridization, which allows for power extraction, insertion, and transfer between the high- and low-pressure shafts of the engine. This capability can be utilized for taxiing, takeoff power boosts, and transient operating conditions. Aviation Week identifies this system as a leading candidate for Airbus’s next-generation single-aisle aircraft concept, known as the eAction.

“One of the advantages of hybrid-electric propulsion is not to have this power takeoff wasted, but to use it,” Pierre Durel, Project Officer at Clean Aviation, told Aviation Week.

AirPro News analysis

We view the successful integration testing at The Grid as a strong indicator that microhybridization is maturing from a conceptual framework into a viable hardware pathway for the mid-2030s single-aisle replacement cycle. The €4.1 billion Clean Aviation Joint Undertaking is heavily incentivizing European and US aerospace manufacturers to collaborate on these transitional technologies. By targeting a 2030 timeline to reach Technology Readiness Level (TRL) 6, the consortium is aligning its development schedule precisely with the anticipated launch windows for the successors to the Airbus A320neo and Boeing 737 MAX families. The ability to extract and insert power dynamically across engine shafts offers a pragmatic step toward emission reductions without requiring the immediate leap to fully electric-aviation or hydrogen propulsion systems.

Sources: RTX