In a fast and furious world, it is all about performance. Unfortunately, one tends to get what they pay for in the way of performance and turbochargers are no exception. If one is hoping to turn their engine into a tire-liquefying beast, they should be prepared to spend at least $3000 on a quality turbocharger or supercharging kit, and not waste time and/or money investigating products such as the electric turbo.
For those who have not heard of the electric supercharger turbo, the idea is fairly simple: an electric motor is used to create vacuum in much the same way that a real forced-air induction system would. Unfortunately, the reality is often quite different. In order to understand the problem and why the theory of a car electric turbo charger does not usually work, one has to start by understanding how regular turbo kits and engines work.
Engines derive their power from the explosion of fuel and air. As one group of cylinders fires, another set is pushed down, compressing the air within. Air is an essential part of the explosion process, and most modern engines come with sophisticated computers that monitor just how much air is being inhaled with every cycle. More air requires more fuel and often a greater spark to ignite properly. The resulting explosion is more forceful, allowing the engine to cycle faster and the response that most people can feel is the quicker acceleration. Turbos fit into this process by creating a vacuum effect that forces more air into an engine, thus creating a continual series of more powerful explosions.
So, this leaves the big question: where does the electric intake turbo fit into the world of electric turbo kits?
The answer is that most electric turbocharger kits do not really work because they simply lack the ability to create sufficient vacuum. Take a look at one of the least expensive electric turbo systems from e-RAM and compare it side by side with a real turbo. The real turbo uses exhaust gases for its source of energy, while the e-RAM system uses a pair of electric wires. While the e-RAM certainly spools up to speed quickly, it does not produce a strong enough vacuum to really alter the combustion dynamics of an engine sufficiently. Furthermore, the entire line of e-RAM products only actives when the engine’s throttle body is fully open. In layman’s terms, this is when the pedal is to the metal. The rest of the time, the propellers simply sit in the middle of the airflow, actually becoming an obstruction to the normal breathing of an engine. Some have even suggested that the only reason that e-RAM owners feel that their products are working is due to the mild negative impact that an idle kit would have. Claims of a 1 to 2 P.S.I. boost should be taken with a grain of salt in e-RAM’s case.
E-RAM is far from the only kit on the market. The Super e-RAM is essentially a pair of E-RAMs put together, but the sad fact is that electric power simply is not enough to get the job done. There are more expensive solutions than the sub-$600 e-RAM, such as the ESC-400. The ESC-400 is nothing more or less than a traditional Eaton-style twin-rotor turbocharger that has been refitted with electric coils to drive the rotors. This system is something of a hybrid concept because it eschews many of the promises made by other electric turbocharger vendors. Promises of an engine-management compliant system that does not require users upgrade their factory engine management computer are out the door with the ESC-400, as is the promise of affordability. The ESC-400 starts at just under $2000 and will require professional installation as well as a potentially expensive engine management upgrade. At prices like this, going for a real turbo kit is probably a good idea, especially since the ESC-400 only offers 15 second worth of boost before its integrated batteries are exhausted and in need of a recharge.
There are plenty of other electric supercharger and electric turbocharger kits on the market, but the bottom line is that one gets what they pay for. This truism is certainly not going to change in the face of the electric turbo. You may also be interested in getting turbo parts instead of buying the entire kit.
