It is fun to drive a car with a turbo, and many new cars are coming with power-boosting devices. They work as mechanical boosters and run the engine faster.
Can Electric Cars Have Turbo? Electric cars do not have turbo because they run on the motor. They do not have combustion engines and do not use fuel to spin the wheels. A turbocharger forces excess air in the engine to burn more diesel and produce high power. It can increase efficiency by 20 to 40% and reduce fuel costs by 25 to 35%. However, they have lagging issues and have a high price. The supercharger is different because it gets the energy directly from the engine. An electric turbo uses an electric motor to force extra oxygen instead of exhaust gases.
In addition, there are many reasons that these car does not require a turbocharger in their system.
What is turbo, and how does it work?
A simple device is present in cars to improve the power and overall performance of the vehicle. It is joined with the engine to pump excess air into the combustion chamber to produce a big explosion.
A turbocharger draws more air into the engine with the help of two parts. First is a turbine that draws exhaust gases through its housing.
Then channel these gases towards turbine wheel and, it starts spinning. The turbine wheel transfer energy to the compressor wheel.
The spinning compressor wheel draws in more air and compresses it. The compressor housing pushes the compressed high-pressure gas towards the engine.
Here the compressed exhaust gases mix up with fuel to produce more power. It helps in increasing the overall speed of the car.
There are six main types of turbo:
- Single turbo
- Twin-turbo
- Twin scroll turbo
- Variable geometric turbo
- Electric turbo
- Variable twin-scroll turbo
Why do electric cars not have turbo?
A power booster is essential for the better performance of a vehicle. But not all vehicles can have a power-boosting technology. Electric cars are an example of such vehicles that are devoid of such components.
Electric cars run on motors
The working principle of electric vehicles is different from that of ordinary cars. They draw energy by running a high-power motor. They do not have a conventional internal combustion engine.
The turbochargers require combustion to produce a big explosion. They enhance the volumetric efficiency of a vehicle by forcing more air inside the engine.
So they will not work for an electric car. Adding a turbocharger will overheat and damage the system of the electric vehicles.
Electric cars do not use oil
They have rechargeable batteries that store energy and deliver it to the motor. The motor turns the wheel to run the automobile.
They do not require fuel and air to get power. The turbo requires both air and oil to produce an explosion. Therefore, the boosting mechanism of a turbocharger will not work for these vehicles.
Electric cars have high power
They have advanced technology as compared to other vehicles. They can deliver high power to wheels by using a high-power motor.
Therefore, they do not require an extra power boost from another source to enhance the speed.
An electric vehicle is about 80 to 90% efficient in delivering power. In contrast, diesel engines are only 45% efficient in improving speed.
What are the benefits of adding a turbocharger to your car?
They have many benefits for the better performance and maintenance of a car. Here is a brief description of all these benefits.
Higher efficiency
They can enhance the efficiency of a vehicle by many folds. On average, a standard turbocharge can increase the efficiency of a combustion engine by 20 to 40%.
This is because they use exhaust gases to force more air into the engine. Hence, they are environment friendly and reduce air pollution by reusing waste gases.
They also divide the engine’s workload by forcing extra oxygen into the combustion chamber.
It helps to get more power from the same size engine. It allows the engine to produce more horsepower and torque. Higher horsepower is crucial to enhance the towing capacity of the vehicle.
Fuel economy
They can minimize fuel costs by reducing the gas requirement to rotate the wheels.
In addition, they help boost the engine’s power by using waste gases. So less fuel is required to get more horsepower. You can also displace a big engine with a small size.
The small engine is lightweight and consumes less fuel to drive the vehicle.
On average, a turbo can reduce fuel costs by 25 to 35%. In addition, a turbocharger helps a smaller engine give more speed to the wheels using the same amount of gasoline.
Environment friendly
The turbo uses the exhaust gases produced in the combustion chamber. It helps in minimizing the disposal of exhaust gases in the atmosphere. As a result, they help in reducing air pollution.
Therefore manufacturers include turbochargers to increase the demand for environment-friendly vehicles.
They are less noisy than other power-boosting technologies. So they do not produce noise pollution in your surroundings.
Disadvantages of turbo in cars
Despite all the benefits, it also has some drawbacks. Here is a brief description of all the disadvantages of a turbocharger.
Highly Expensive
A turbocharger is a complex system that has many parts. You need to make modifications to the car before installing it.
These modifications can cost from a few to hundreds of dollars. The turbocharger itself is not expensive to buy.
But the parts associated with its installation are costly. You have to modify the exhaust system, pipeline, intake system, and cooling system.
The material used for joining the parts is relatively expensive. Installation is not a one-person job, and professional consultation is essential for placing it inside the car.
In addition, the labor cost for installing a turbocharger is relatively high. All these factors make it an expensive product; not every manufacturer can afford it.
Turbo lag
It is a gap in the power delivery from the engine to the wheels. During driving, whenever you press the accelerator, there is a delay of seconds in producing a power boost.
It happens when the engine speed is low. It cannot produce e enough exhaust gas to spin the turbine.
The turbine takes time to deliver compressed high-pressure gases to the combustion engine. So you have to wait for a moment before starting to get the maximum speed.
This situation happens occasionally, and you can fix it by modifying the speed. The manufacturers are trying to change the design of the turbine and compressor to reduce the friction between them.
Difficult to maintain
The complex structure of the turbo makes it challenging to maintain. It is exposed to waste gases to produce an extra boost of power.
It can get damaged quickly due to dirt and debris. You have to get it checked more often to make it last longer.
It is time-consuming and puts an extra burden on your pocket. Exposure to exhaust gases raises its temperature it can fail quickly.
Are the turbocharger and supercharger the same?
Both superchargers and turbochargers have the same purpose. Both are used to force excess oxygen in the engine to burn more fuel.
A supercharger gets energy from the crankshaft or belt. A turbocharger receives power from the turbine of the exhaust system. The supercharger can provide a power boost immediately.
They do not have a lag issue in delivering the extra boost to the engine. It can produce more horsepower at a low speed compared o a turbocharger. It lasts long and does not damage the motor in any way.
How does an electric turbo works?
The electric turbo is different from the conventional turbocharger. It uses an electric motor to spin the turbine.
It does not rely on the exhaust gases of the exhaust system. Instead, when you press the accelerator in an electric car, the motor activates the compressor and forces air into the engine.
It does not suffer from turbo lag. It is more efficient and produces high horsepower.
When the turbine is spinning at high speed, the motor turns off automatically to save energy.
Related Articles: