Audi, Ferrari To Debut Electrically-Assisted Turbos: Report

Both Ferrari and Audi are preparing to take turbo technology to the next level, with both marques set to debut models with electrically-assisted turbochargers.

Audi will likely be the first to market, with the SQ7 performance version of its all-new Q7 large SUV expected to marry electric-assisted turbos with a diesel V6 or V8.

Audi's system will likely be similar to that of the A6 3.0 TDI Concept, which combined an electrically-run supercharger with a conventional turbo.

During acceleration from low RPM, when turbo diesels typically suffer from turbo lag, the electric supercharger spools up to provide positive boost pressure in just 250 milliseconds.

The result is much sharper throttle response and improved performance.

The RS5 V6 TDI-e's sequential turbo system (above and below) offers a slightly different take and may be used instead, with an electrically-assisted smaller turbo generating boost at low RPM before handing off to a larger conventional turbo for high-RPM performance.