VoltAero has unveiled its HPU 210 aircraft powertrain, which brings the company’s patented hybrid-electric propulsion technology to propeller-driven airplanes in the homebuilt, kit-built and very light aircraft categories.
Displayed for the first time on VoltAero’s exhibit stand at France Air Expo in Lyon, France, the HPU 210 hybrid power unit (HPU) combines a high-performance thermal engine with an advanced electric motor to provide revolutionary push-to-climb functionality that boosts power by 40 percent – enabling safer, more efficient and enhanced flight operations.
The HPU 210 is equipped with Kawasaki’s H2SX thermal engine – which provides maximum power of 150 kW, along with a 60-kW electric motor. In typical operation, the thermal engine delivers baseline propulsive power, while the electric motor kicks in during high-power demand situations, resulting in shorter takeoff distances, enhanced obstacle clearance and significantly increased cruise speeds.
In VoltAero’s HPU 210 configuration, the hybrid-electric propulsion unit is controlled by a single throttle – with the thermal engine generating the power from zero to 70 percent, and the additional boost power delivered by the electric motor and its battery. With fuel consumption as low as 38 liters per hour at cruise settings, the HPU 210 runs on aviation gasoline (AVGAS), biofuel (such as the E85 ethanol-gasoline blend) and standard unleaded automotive fuel – allowing operators to optimize their running costs and carbon footprint.
The HPU 210 will be supplied by VoltAero as a turnkey solution, with the kit including a complete powertrain unit composed of the thermal engine, electric motor, gearbox and electronic control unit.
A Deliveries of HPU 210s are targeted to begin late 2026.
