What is E-boosting and what are its prospects? E-boosting stands for electrical-assisted boosting; by incorporating a very high speed electrical motor in rotating assembly of a turbocharger, you can drive it up to very high speeds, before you have exhaust gases to do so. It is very powerful, specifically when there is no exhaust gas available, such as at idle, or in stop and go.

It is entirely integrated inside the turbocharger, with virtually “real-estate” penalty to speak of. The size of the electric motor is about an inch long. It makes the turbocharger an inch longer, with no impact on the timing and virtually no impact on the weight. The trick is to make electrical motors are capable of motoring more than 120,000 rpm and withstand mechanical loads in excess of 200,000 rpm – because turbos spin that fast.

The other challenge is to get enough electrical energy into their designs. The majority of cars use 12 volt or a 14-volt alternator.42 volt would be a significant help. But we believe that electric boost is feasible with 12-volt systems. The prospect is very real for electric boost. You will see it in premium diesels such as the Renault Aspach (sic) or the Peugeot A06 (in Europe). They have limited space and need lots of power density and bottom end. I also clearly see it in high-end gasoline engines, built for high performance.

I could imagine it in a (Chevrolet) Corvette or (Ford) Mustang Cobra like vehicle, having an electrical-assist turbo. If you go to 42 volt or a hybrid, e boosting would also allow very aggressive downsizing of the (IC) engine. This would allow very aggressive downsizing of the engine. Instead of applying a three-liter V6, you could apply a one-liter internal combustion engine, equipped with an electrical boost turbo plus an electric motor. You can only do extreme downsizing – 50 percent or more – with electrical assist turbocharging.

As far as the elec motor is concerned, I can only imagine what the heat that is generated around the turbo will do to it! Probably have a life span of 2 hours... Also, the voltage isn't nearly as important as the amperage that the alternator will be putting out. I'm sure to spin that turbo to that speed will require quite a bit, further putting resistance on the engine....not sure if that'll be worth it. Not to mention the fact that now you are sucking exhaust from the cylinders / valves...which might cause turbulence and other issues that we may not be aware of. Even vacuum issues on the exhaust side. Imagine that if you have a cam that has a slight overlap, that the scavenging effect will be increased due to the fact that now the exhaust is being sucked out by the turbo, instead of the exhaust spinning the turbo. Now the good fuel/air will go straight thru the chambers instead of staying inside to combust.