TECO Electric & Machinery Co. has stepped onto the North American stage at XPONENTIAL 2026 in Detroit, presenting the TECO UAV powertrain system and a new robotic joint module to an audience of unmanned systems professionals. The Taiwan-based company, which trades on the TWSE under code 1504, joined its U.S. subsidiary TECO-Westinghouse Motor Company for the three-day exhibition running from May 12 through May 14 in Michigan. The event is positioned as North America’s leading showcase for autonomous driving systems and unmanned technologies.
The debut introduces a drone hairpin motor power system built specifically for high-payload UAVs, along with the All-in-One robotic joint module that earned the 2026 Taiwan Excellence Gold Award. With these launches, TECO is moving directly into the fast-growing commercial drone and intelligent robotics sectors in the region. The company plans to lean on TECO-Westinghouse’s Texas-based service network to offer end-to-end solutions and after-sales support to American customers.
Inside the TECO UAV Powertrain Built for Heavy-Duty Drones
The exhibit centers on a power solution engineered for commercial drones in the 10 kg to 100 kg payload range. At its core, the TECO UAV powertrain system pairs the T Power Air 12.5kW hairpin motor with the T Power Air TE250 high-power electronic speed controller. TECO has carried mainstream electric vehicle hairpin technology over into UAV propulsion, producing a maximum thrust of 76.5 kilograms per shaft. That output is aimed at heavy-duty missions such as pesticide spraying and logistics transport, where conventional brushless DC motors often struggle with both efficiency and flight time.
Compared with traditional BLDC motors, the new system increases efficiency enough to extend drone flight time by roughly 20 percent. TECO’s engineering team optimized the design for UAV propulsion by combining a hairpin stator with a permanent magnet outer-rotor configuration that uses a Halbach array. This pairing raises torque density by 25 percent and pushes peak motor efficiency up to 91.8 percent. Existing agricultural drone customers have already deployed the technology in real operations, an early validation point as TECO begins courting buyers in the United States and Canada.
Green UAS Certification and the Push Into North America
To make headway with U.S. operators who must source from approved supply chains, TECO is working toward Green UAS certification before the end of 2026. The certification target is meant to address the strict procurement requirements that govern much of the high-specification UAV market in North America, and getting on the list opens doors with both commercial buyers and government-aligned operators. Coverage of recent Green UAS certification activity across the industry shows how seriously manufacturers now treat that listing.
Beyond certification, the company is hedging against geopolitics and raw material constraints by building a low-rare-earth version of its hairpin motor. That product is aimed at the rapidly expanding medium-sized logistics drone segment, where buyers want supply-chain flexibility and predictable component sourcing. Technical specifications for the commercial drone propulsion line include patented features such as in-slot air cooling, axial shock resistance, and salt spray protection on the housing.
“This North American debut not only showcases TECO’s advanced electromechanical integration capabilities, but also marks a key milestone in strengthening our strategic presence in the North American market. Our high-performance UAV hairpin powertrain system and highly integrated robotic joint modules are designed to directly address the growing demand among North American customers for high-efficiency and highly reliable solutions across agriculture, logistics, automation, and related sectors. TECO aims to build strong partnerships with UAV manufacturers, Drone-as-a-Service (DaaS) providers, and robotics developers in North America, further enhancing TECO’s leadership presence in the intelligent power systems market.” Fei-Yuan Kao, TECO President
Award-Winning Robotic Joint Module Joins the Lineup
The second product taking the spotlight at XPONENTIAL is the All-in-One robotic joint module, which took home the 2026 Taiwan Excellence Gold Award. The module integrates brushless DC motors, planetary gear reducers, encoders, and sensors into a single package. According to TECO, the result is a tightly packaged unit that handles precision motion control while standing up to challenging operating environments. The company is positioning the joint module for use in robotic arms, quadruped robots, and humanoid platforms, all areas seeing rapid investment globally.
The robotics push draws on more than 70 years of electromechanical work at TECO, a company that built its reputation on motors, drives, and industrial automation before pivoting toward smart mobility and new energy systems. With XPONENTIAL serving as the launchpad for both the TECO UAV powertrain and the joint module in North America, TECO is signaling that it plans to compete in markets long dominated by entrenched American and European suppliers across agriculture, logistics, and automation.
