An interesting news story... I've added a couple links to the company mentioned.

I always thought this type of thing would have some small benefit but I've read a number of posts about electric turbochargers/superchargers before and posters have always said they are useless or at most highly questionable, so I've ranked it down there with air filter upgrades, headers, flow through exhausts, chip upgrades, etc... as being just scams.

Your thoughts?...


Electric Supercharger Boosts Gasoline Engines To Diesel Efficiency - Green Car Reports


Controlled Power Technologies... Experience


Oh, and the electric supercharger they are talking about was a developed by Visteon and then bought by these guys!!!



Site provides testing and additional details under various otto and diesel apps...

Controlled Power Technologies... VTES

 

While that's a nice article, it still takes (fuel) energy to create energy. That electric motor pulls 350 amps! There will certainly be a drag on the engine to create the power to run that electric supercharger! I copied the specs and pasted them below:

<table style="width: 445px;" border="0" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0"><tbody><tr><td width="222">Maximum Pressure Ratio</td> <td width="223">1.45</td> </tr> <tr> <td>Maximum Speed</td> <td>70,000rpm</td> </tr> <tr> <td>Time to Maximum Speed</td> <td><350ms</td> </tr> <tr> <td>Peak Shaft Power</td> <td>1.8kW</td> </tr> <tr> <td>Current Draw - Idle</td> <td>1.5 Amps</td> </tr> <tr> <td>Current Draw - Acceleration</td> <td>350 Amps</td> </tr> <tr> <td>Current Draw - Steady State</td> <td>220 Amps</td> </tr> <tr> <td>Operating temperatures</td> <td>-40^oC to +125^oC</td></tr></tbody></table>

 

Forgive the hijack, but you are mistaken if you think custom chips, air filter upgrades, or headers are scams!

Depending on the application, headers can and will provide more power. On a 5.0 Mustang you would get over 25hp at the wheels just by swapping out the OEM headers for a set of JBA shorty headers. On a Gen 2 Lightning, you have to be pushing A LOT of HP through a built engine and custom heads, but it's been proven there are gains to be had by bolting on a set of long tube headers.

As for chip upgrades, wow, there is waaaaaaaaaay too much data to prove they not only improve power, but also improve mileage, again though, depending on the application. Plus, in a lot of applications, custom chips, tunes, or hand held flash tuners are NECESSARY after doing modifications just to make sure the vehicle runs properly.

I could keep going on, but I don't wanna derail the thread.

Scott, those specs you posted for that electric supercharger show the unit pulling a lot of power. Makes me wonder how cost effective a unit like that might become as electric powered vehicles become more refined, allowing that technology to be passed on to making S/C units like that worthwhile.

Stewart

 

OK, great, but at what flow rate? Will it flow enough air to support an engine at WOT near redline? Our big engines will flow alot of air in those conditions. I doubt that supercharger could keep up.