superconducting motor promises 99.5%
US startup Hinetics, a member of the POETS center, unveiled the world’s first fully integrated, cryogen-free superconducting motor at CES 2026. This project, funded by the US Department of Energy’s ARPA-E, is being developed for aerospace and AI data center applications.
In an interview with Interesting Engineering, Hinetics engineer Raatan Venkataraman described the unit as a practical proof-of-concept demonstrator representing three years of development.
“What you’re seeing here is a practical superconducting motor. It’s a small proof-of-concept demonstrator, but it represents all the technology we’ve developed over the past three years,” said Venkataraman.
While this specific unit is a scaled-down version, Hinetics is currently building toward a six-megawatt superconducting electric motor.
Venkataraman stated that the goal is to make superconducting technology feasible for near-term use. He identified the primary obstacle as the high cost of superconducting tape, though he noted that costs have dropped by half over the last three years.
“We expect a similar reduction over the next three years. That’s what will make superconducting machines more scalable and commercially viable,” he remarked.