Garrett E-Turbo Brings F1 Power to Daily Rides

While automakers continue to make impressive strides in the EV arena, the simple truth is that internal combustion is not dead—and likely won’t be for a while. In fact, Lang Marketing Resources reports that we can expect to see as many as 36 million more ICE vehicles on the road between now and 2030. Which means there is still plenty of drive to develop improvements in the power and efficiency of traditional vehicles. And Garrett Motion, a recognizable Tier-1 supplier with a 70-year history and major presence in turbochargers, is doing just that.

Garrett’s efforts have pretty much set the standard for aftermarket turbochargers and boost in general, and their latest development is one that certainly has people talking. I’m referring, of course, to what Garrett calls the E-Turbo.

What is an E-Turbo?

The big problem with any turbo is lag, right? It simply takes time for the boost to build. And while other manufacturers have worked to solve this issue (most notably in the form of compound turbo systems produced by such brands as Aurora and BorgWarner), these systems were largely only useful for reducing lag on big turbos and big engines. (Hence their love from big diesel truck owners.)

With that in mind, a more universal fix is necessary, especially as automakers turn to smaller engines for efficiency. It’s ideal to have a solution with a small footprint that doesn’t compromise power output. This is where Garrett’s new E-Turbo shines.

The E-Turbo features a small electric motor on the shaft connecting the compressor wheel and turbine. This motor works to spool the turbo at low RPM, providing immediate boost and eliminating lag. Then, the exhaust gases can take over, allowing the pressure to drive the turbo. “The addition of electric power to compensate when air flow is low allows us to use a larger turbo more appropriately matched to the engine’s natural sweet spot of operation,” explains Garrett.

If you’ve kept up on modern advancements in automotive technology, chances are you’ve heard of systems that work on this exact same principle. In fact, using an electric motor to spool a turbo at low RPMs is not a new concept—E-boosters have existed in the market for some time now. An E-booster is essentially an electric motor, separate from the turbocharger, that works to reduce the effects of lag and push the turbo to begin producing power early on in the RPM range.

What makes Garrett’s E-Turbo different?

Well, E-Boosters are a complementary system designed to work alongside a turbocharger. By contrast, Garrett’s E-Turbo combines the turbocharger and electric motor into one single unit, making installation a little simpler. Really sweetening the pot though, are the regenerative characteristics of the E-Turbo.

“The E-Turbo brings new capabilities never before seen on turbos: the ability to recuperate otherwise wasted energy as an electrical generator to power the hybrid motor directly or recharge the battery in certain driving situations,” says Garrett.

What would this technology feel like in a real-life situation?

You instantly feel more power during acceleration because you don’t have to wait for boost to build up. A wider, flatter power curve increases drivability during both spirited and economical driving. And, depending on your habits and driving style, you can see gains in fuel economy as well.

“Garrett engineers told a conference that when compared to a standard, modern Garrett turbo, they’ve seen up to a 16% increase in rated power, and a 10.5% increase in rated torque. The engine achieved target torque in one second instead of 1.5 seconds when starting at 1,500 rpm, and accelerated the vehicle from 37 miles per hour to 62 miles per hour in 8.8 seconds instead of 11 seconds. Those engineers didn’t explain what kind of car or engine the turbo was tested on, however.” –Autoblog

As for harvesting energy when you come off boost, the exhaust gases and inertia of the wheels will keep the turbo spinning even after you lift your foot off the accelerator, allowing the motor to become a generator. “In conjunction with a 48V electrical system, the E-Turbo contributes to recuperating energy that would normally be lost out the exhaust pipe,” summarizes Forbes. “In turn, that energy is then used to spin up the E-Turbo the next time acceleration is required.”

What are some potential pitfalls of the Garrett E-Turbo?

Being in this industry means you’re a thinker and you’re hard-wired to challenge and question anything that’s put in front of you. So, you’re likely beginning to consider possible drawbacks of this system. Here are a few we found.

They’re not loved by F1.

You may recognize the E-Turbo as being similar to the MGU-H design used in Formula 1 racing. (In fact, Garrett provides a similar E-Turbo to the Scuderia Ferrari team.) However, you might also remember that the V6 hybrid turbo power units used in F1 were almost scrapped due to criticisms over their high cost and complicated operation. Additionally, on a more superficial note, they fail to make that loud, raucous engine sound we’ve all come to love.

This may (understandably) send up some red flags when asked to accept this technology on consumer-level vehicles. Especially when you consider that the only reason F1 is really keeping the MGU-H design is because engine manufacturers already invested a boatload of money into developing the existing hybrid engine. That feels a little like “Don’t fix it if it ain’t… cheap,” but hey, we don’t make the rules.

While we probably shouldn’t base everything we know about E-turbos on their use in F1 racing, there are some valid arguments concerning the mainstream roll-out of these systems as well.

They’re not exactly simple.

“Modern cars are already pretty good at low-end torque,” writes one commenter on the aforementioned Autoblog coverage of this technology. “Most cars, not trying to put down high horsepower numbers, can make full torque well below 2000 rpm. That being said, I wouldn’t want to over-complicate my car with an extra electrical system just for slightly better driving dynamics. What little turbo lag cars still have, is just not worth it. These electric turbos would really have to come with the fuel savings benefit claimed here [to be worth it].”

Complex nature of components is almost never a good thing. Simply put: the more parts there are, the more there is to break. And if there are a lot of parts, finding and correcting the root of the issue can be costly and time consuming. While this can definitely be perceived as a drawback, to consider this a pitfall is relative.

Basically, you can get lost in a rabbit hole here. The motor in E-turbos works to improve low-end performance, not high RPM, as high-revving performance is handled by the turbocharger alone. So, if you don’t see the need for lower RPM gains, you might just overlook the entire concept.

What are some guaranteed benefits?

There is no doubt that systems like the Garrett E-Turbo are inherently targeted at smaller displacement engines, as that is the way automakers are leaning these days. And, as we mentioned, the E-Turbo allows them greater opportunity for power output and efficiency. However, the potential is not only limited to smaller engines. In fact, Forbes makes a great point about the benefits E-Turbos can bring to heavy-duty diesel truck owners, including a 20% reduction in NOx emissions.

“While there are many efforts to electrify the engines in these larger vehicles, the bulk of batteries still poses a challenge because it eats into the payload capability. Batteries are especially challenging for long-haul trucking. Using E-Turbos on those big diesels has potential to reduce the worst pollutants produced by those engines.” –Forbes

A clean power-adder for diesel applications is always a big deal due to the strict laws that surround them. If Garrett does target this audience, I’m sure we will see plenty of diesel owners jumping on board, as it’s a far less complicated system than a compound turbo but still works to impact that low end performance they are ready to die for.

When will we see the E-Turbo hit the market?

Unfortunately, we will have to wait until 2021 for Garrett to unleash this hound. To further worsen the anticipation, we don’t exactly know where it will first show up, only that it will be an OE-option upon release. Garrett states that the first application will emerge in “premium, high-performance vehicles (from 2021 onward) and future applications will begin to appear in other segments leading up to 2025.”

Are you as intrigued by Garrett’s electric-inspired momentum as we are? Share your thoughts in the comments section.