Turbos, Superchargers, and Electric Superchargers: What’s The Difference?

Turbos, superchargers, and electric superchargers are linked to your engine to increase your car’s engine so-called
net
output.

All of them are doing the same job of forcing more air into the cylinders; however, they differ when it comes to the energy source. Because of this small difference, they all have their unique features and flaws.

Turbochargers

Compressor driven by a turbine, which is supplied with power by the exhaust gases of the engine, push more air into the engine through turbochargers.

From an energetic standpoint, this system represents an energy increase in a more efficient way as compared to the others. Instead of being emitted, the exhaust gases are used to air ram more air in your car’s engine. With the help of turbochargers, manufacturers can extract much power from an engine of a smaller size. It mainly assists in reducing the size of the engines which in return reduces the amount of reciprocating mass of the car making them easier to drive.

Turbochargers come with the major drawback of turbo lag. Turbo lag can be stated as the delay from the point in time the throttle has been pressed to the point when the power is delivered in a turbo-charged setup. Just because the turbocharger relies on exhaust gases, the engine needs to build up a threshold pressure at the exhaust to start the turbocharger. Finally, when exhaust gases spool up the turbocharger, it brings in more air and the power gains become exponential. So when the throttle is pressed, this process takes a bit of time to initiate and then chains up to provide the output.

Engines with a turbocharger tend to complete their engine oil life earlier than the rest. A turbocharger also needs an oil supply right from the engine.

Superchargers

Superchargers shove more air into the cylinder with the help of a compressor, which is directly connected to the engine. A supercharger is connected to the engine, mostly through a belt, a chain, or gears.

Superchargers do not have any turbo lags and are almost like naturally aspirated engines in terms of the pedal response. You mostly get a flat increase in power along the RPMs by adding a supercharger to your engine. 

Superchargers tend to be inefficient as compared to turbochargers, as they take power from the engine to provide more air which produces more power.

Electric Superchargers

Electric superchargers are not deployed on their own in a setup. They are usually coupled with a turbocharger or two. As turbochargers tend to be sluggish in the lower RPMs, electric superchargers come into play in this range. It provides instant boost with the help of a compressor powered by an electric motor. These electric motors need a high-wattage, 48-volt DC battery to run them. The 48-volt battery is then charged by a separate generator connected to the engine.

This configuration stands in between the turbochargers and the superchargers in terms of efficiency. But their response times are better, just like the supercharged or naturally aspirated engines. An electric supercharger coupled with a turbocharger provides power gains all across the RPM range.

An electric supercharger, along with a turbocharger, can be tricky to install and initiate. They need to be calibrated for the right rpm ranges to operate and perform to their maximum potential.