AMG considering electric turbochargers

“There are many companies looking into this technology right now and it is something we will investigate at some time to see the benefits,” announced Jochen Martin Schmid, AMG’s head of powertrain development, in an interview with Australian website Drive.

A mechanical turbocharger provides the engine with boost thanks to a turbine that is spun by exhaust gases as they exit the cylinders. As its name implies, an electric turbo is spun by a compact motor that allows it to provide more boost at lower rpms. The setup all but eliminates turbo lag, the gap of time between when the driver presses the gas pedal and when the turbo provides a noticeable amount of boost.

Rivals Audi and BMW have toyed around with electric turbochargers in the past, and the V6 engine found in Mercedes’ Formula 1 car uses a highly-advanced form of the technology.

Schmid did not reveal when AMG will decide whether or not to use electric turbochargers in its cars. If the company moves ahead with the project, the technology could trickle down to non-AMG-tuned Mercedes models before the end of the decade.