[{"@context":"https:\/\/schema.org\/","@type":"BlogPosting","@id":"https:\/\/smart-motoring.com\/latest-news\/the-end-of-the-supercharger\/#BlogPosting","mainEntityOfPage":"https:\/\/smart-motoring.com\/latest-news\/the-end-of-the-supercharger\/","headline":"The End of The Supercharger","name":"The End of The Supercharger","description":"The supercharger is dead, may it rest in peace. Nowadays, when you search for superchargers on Google you\u2019ll just end up with a bunch of articles on Tesla\u2019s supercharging network. If that isn\u2019t a sign that superchargers are being forgotten about, I don\u2019t know what is. The supercharger is soon to be retired and taking its place will be turbochargers, or \u2018turbosuperchargers\u2019 as they were first known as. That\u2019s right, the supercharger is being replaced by its very own offspring. […]","datePublished":"2019-12-23","dateModified":"2019-12-24","author":{"@type":"Person","@id":"https:\/\/smart-motoring.com\/author\/matthew-collett\/#Person","name":"Matthew Collett","url":"https:\/\/smart-motoring.com\/author\/matthew-collett\/","identifier":5,"description":"Max Wheeler is a leading motoring journalist and classic car specialist at Smart Motoring, renowned for his sharp insight and infectious passion for all things automotive. With years of experience covering motoring news, supercars, and the enduring legacy of classic cars, Max brings stories to life with style and authority. Whether it\u2019s the roar of a Lamborghini, the elegance of an Aston Martin DB5, or the cultural impact of vintage motoring icons, he delivers expert commentary that inspires enthusiasts and collectors alike. Dedicated to celebrating the heritage and future of driving, Max Wheeler is your trusted voice for classic car news and beyond.","image":{"@type":"ImageObject","@id":"https:\/\/secure.gravatar.com\/avatar\/64eca1152247aa111ace79ff1c03782b175df9dc21d2092364ff21e1cf5e38fa?s=96&d=mm&r=g","url":"https:\/\/secure.gravatar.com\/avatar\/64eca1152247aa111ace79ff1c03782b175df9dc21d2092364ff21e1cf5e38fa?s=96&d=mm&r=g","height":96,"width":96}},"publisher":{"@type":"Organization","name":"Smart Motoring","logo":{"@type":"ImageObject","@id":"https:\/\/smart-motoring.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/10\/smart-motoring_news_logo_g-e1765846726493.webp","url":"https:\/\/smart-motoring.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/10\/smart-motoring_news_logo_g-e1765846726493.webp","width":600,"height":60}},"image":{"@type":"ImageObject","@id":"https:\/\/smart-motoring.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/12\/The-End-of-The-Supercharger-feature.jpg","url":"https:\/\/smart-motoring.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/12\/The-End-of-The-Supercharger-feature.jpg","height":520,"width":1200},"url":"https:\/\/smart-motoring.com\/latest-news\/the-end-of-the-supercharger\/","about":["Cars","LATEST CAR NEWS"],"wordCount":666,"keywords":["End of Supercharger","Supercharger"],"articleBody":"The supercharger is dead, may it rest in peace.Nowadays, when you search for superchargers on Google you\u2019lljust end up with a bunch of articles on Tesla\u2019s supercharging network. If thatisn\u2019t a sign that superchargers are being forgotten about, I don\u2019t know whatis. The supercharger is soon to be retired and taking its place will be turbochargers, or \u2018turbosuperchargers\u2019 as they were first known as. That\u2019s right, the supercharger is being replaced by its very own offspring. Without the supercharger, turbos wouldn\u2019t exist. That\u2019s because they\u2019re basically the same thing. The supercharger goes way back – to 1848 to be specific – when the Roots-style compressor was first introduced into the world. It was initially invented as a tool to help ventilate blast furnaces and mine shafts and it wasn\u2019t really used in the automotive industry until 1885, when Gottlieb Daimler patented it for use in internal combustion engines. Anyway, fast forward 130 years and here we are, watching superchargers go extinct. Although they were once often preferred in performance cars due to their instantaneous nature, as turbo technology has evolved, ordinary turbos have slowly reduced the lag time to make them virtually just as instantaneous as superchargers. Turbo lag is dying, which means superchargers are becoming obsolete. There are several problems with superchargers that turbos don\u2019t suffer from. First of all, superchargers are driven by a belt, powered by the engine whereas turbos are driven by exhaust gasses. This means that the engines have to work harder to not only turn the wheels of the car, but now also to keep the supercharger spinning. The benefit of this, however, is that superchargers don\u2019t lag when delivering power like turbos do because they\u2019re are already spinning, whereas turbos have to spin themselves up to speed.That being said, as technology progresses, turbos have become so developed that the lag is now minimal, with them being almost instant. Looking back to the days when even cars like the Ferrari F40 had turbo lag so bad you could literally say \u201cI wish I had a supercharger\u201d before the power was delivered, it\u2019s clear that they\u2019ve come a tremendous way since then.Another bad thing about superchargers (and probably another main factor to their demise) is that they\u2019re inefficient. Cars with them often have terrible fuel economy which just doesn\u2019t sit well with today\u2019s regulations and culture. Not only have rules, taxes and tests been put in place to encourage the production of highly efficient vehicles but also, who enjoys cars with poor fuel efficiency? If a turbo can offer just the same performance boost as a supercharger and save you \u00a31,000 in fuel each year, why would anyone want to choose a supercharger? Perhaps the unique sound? But other than that, now that lag has been fixed, what else does it have to offer? Few cars remain that still use a supercharger rather than asingle or twin-turbo system. The last cars to hold out and support thesupercharger in 2019 includes Jaguar\u2019s F-Type and SV XE Project 8 super saloon,Volvo\u2019s XC90 T6 SUV, the Range Rover SVR and the Dodge Challenger. Other thanthat, plus a few that I may have forgotten, all other performance cars mainlyuse turbochargers. However, ten years ago there were much more commonplace andgo back twenty years and they were even more abundant. The days of superchargers are numbered, so next time you seean F-Pace drive past, be sure to listen out for that special whine noise thatyou won\u2019t hear anywhere else. And then watch them pull into the nearest petrolstation because their supercharger has drunk all their fuel!Let us know in the comments how you feel about the demise of the supercharger. Also, if you enjoyed reading this, why not read about how the F40 isn\u2019t actually the best supercar ever made, but rather an overrated, turbo-lag-ridden kit car. "},{"@context":"https:\/\/schema.org\/","@type":"BreadcrumbList","itemListElement":[{"@type":"ListItem","position":1,"name":"Latest News","item":"https:\/\/smart-motoring.com\/latest-news\/#breadcrumbitem"},{"@type":"ListItem","position":2,"name":"The End of The Supercharger","item":"https:\/\/smart-motoring.com\/latest-news\/the-end-of-the-supercharger\/#breadcrumbitem"}]}]