SRT's Innovative Quick-Spool Turbo Device Allows the Hurricane I6 to Perform Like a V8.

      Byron Hurd

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      Turbo lag can be interesting, but it hinders pure performance. While earlier turbocharged vehicles delivered intense acceleration at high RPMs, engineers have been working for years to eliminate this delay in power. Several solutions exist—such as using sequential turbos with a smaller one paired with a larger one for increased horsepower—but Stellantis' SRT Performance Division has devised another approach. This method incorporates an e-compressor that allows large turbos to spool up faster than exhaust gases can.

      You might be asking, “Isn’t that already available?” It's actually quite different from Porsche’s system in the 911. Porsche's technology includes a motor-generator unit situated between the compressor and inducer, while SRT’s eBoost Air unit is positioned upstream of the Hurricane inline-six’s twin turbos. Unlike Porsche, which uses the MGU to directly spin the turbo, SRT's device simply accelerates airflow to the turbos.

      SRT described in a press release that the purpose of this technology is to make the engine behave more like a supercharged V8. Many consumers desire this, but Stellantis has its reasons for developing the Hurricane engine family. While Ram seems to be returning to the Hemi, this technology could potentially be integrated into high-performance Jeep models in the future.

      SRT created a Grand Cherokee prototype featuring the Hurricane inline-six and eBoost Air to showcase this technology.

      When the exhaust gas flow finally aligns with the eBoost Air, the compressor disengages, and the feature is entirely bypassed. Although it doesn’t recover any expended energy, it requires a 48-volt electrical system to operate. Currently, the eBoost Air is just a “rapid-development proof of concept,” and Stellantis still has work ahead of them before utilizing this technology in any Hurricane-equipped models in the U.S. At this time, only specific non-Hurricane Jeeps and Ram 1500s with the Hemi V8 have a 48-volt mild-hybrid eTorque system, so a possible solution could involve a secondary battery—though this remains unverified and possibly undecided at the moment.

      Incorporating this into the Grand Cherokee’s engine compartment proved to be a challenge. The six-cylinder Hurricane hasn't yet been featured in a production model of Jeep’s midsize SUV, so foundational issues needed addressing. Additionally, SRT engineers had to accommodate what effectively acts as a third air intake for the small electrical compressor. Yet, the team surprisingly managed to complete the project in just seven weeks. Indeed, weeks.

      SRT mentions that eBoost Air does not provide any extra power to the Hurricane; it simply aids the engine in reaching higher power levels more rapidly. The twin-turbo, 3.0-liter inline-six is already quite powerful, particularly the high-output variant, which delivers 540 horsepower and 510 lb-ft of torque. While I appreciated the brief lag during my test of the Ram 1500 Tungsten a couple of years ago, this eBoost Air innovation should significantly benefit those racing quarter-miles.

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