Stellantis has introduced eBoost Air, a rapid-development proof-of-concept technology from its SRT Performance Division designed to reduce turbo lag in Hurricane-powered engines. Rather than increasing engine output, the system is intended to help the twin-turbo inline-six reach its existing power more quickly by accelerating airflow before exhaust gases fully spool the turbochargers.
How Stellantis eBoost Air Works
Turbo lag has long been one of the biggest challenges for turbocharged performance engines, and manufacturers have developed several approaches to reduce the delay before full power arrives.
Stellantis’ solution differs from systems such as the one used by Porsche on the 911. While Porsche employs a motor-generator unit positioned between the compressor and inducer to directly spin the turbocharger, the SRT-developed eBoost Air system is mounted upstream of the Hurricane inline-six’s twin turbochargers.
Instead of directly spinning the turbos, eBoost Air rapidly feeds additional air into them, allowing the turbochargers to spool faster than they would through exhaust gas alone.
Designed to Deliver Supercharged-Like Response
According to an SRT press release, the goal of eBoost Air is to make the Hurricane engine behave more like a supercharged V8 during acceleration.
Although Ram has returned to the Hemi, Stellantis developed the Hurricane engine family for a reason, and the company indicated the technology could eventually find a place in future high-performance Jeep models.
48-Volt System Powers the Technology
Once exhaust gas flow reaches the point where it can efficiently drive the turbochargers, the eBoost Air compressor disengages and is bypassed entirely.
The system does not recover spent energy, but it does require a 48-volt electrical system to operate.
For now, eBoost Air remains a rapid-development proof of concept, and Stellantis has additional work to complete before introducing the technology on Hurricane-powered vehicles in the United States.
Currently, only certain non-Hurricane Jeep models and Ram 1500 trucks equipped with the Hemi V8 feature the 48-volt mild-hybrid eTorque system. A secondary battery could be one possible solution for future applications, although that has not been confirmed and remains undecided.
Prototype Installed in Seven Weeks
Integrating the technology into the Jeep Grand Cherokee engine bay required significant engineering work. The Hurricane six-cylinder engine has not yet appeared in a production version of the midsize SUV, meaning foundational packaging challenges had to be addressed.
Engineers also needed to create space for what effectively serves as a third air intake dedicated to the electric compressor.
Despite those challenges, the SRT engineering team completed the project in just seven weeks.
Focused on Faster Power Delivery
SRT emphasized that eBoost Air does not increase the Hurricane engine’s horsepower or torque. Instead, the technology is designed to help the engine reach its existing performance more quickly.
The twin-turbocharged 3.0-liter Hurricane inline-six already produces up to 540 horsepower and 510 lb-ft of torque in its high-output version. With eBoost Air, Stellantis is focusing on improving throttle response and reducing turbo lag rather than adding additional power.
As development continues, eBoost Air remains an experimental technology aimed at enhancing the driving characteristics of future Hurricane-powered performance vehicles without changing the engine’s peak output.
