Turbocharged engines have a bit of a lag problem. When you're crafting the ultimate driving machine, you don't want this. Automakers have figured out a way to help eliminate lag by using electric compressors.

First created by Audi, the technology can be found in the SQ7 TDI High-Performance Diesel SUV. The vehicle features a turbocharged diesel V8, dual turbochargers, a 48-volt electrical system, and an electric compressor. It was capable of delivering 435 horsepower and a massive 660 pound-feet of torque. But what does this mean?

Normally, when a vehicle has a 4.0-liter twin-turbocharged V-8, it has a noticeable latency between when you floor it, and when you actually launch. The SQ7 TDI doesn't have this problem. This is because the electrical compressor provides an instantaneous boost, lasting long enough for the turbochargers to catch up, at least.

The 48-volt system provides power to a 10-horsepower electric motor (as well as other things) in order to spin the compressor as quickly as 70,000 rpm. With some complicated mechanical magic, this provides an on-demand boost to start you off, where the turbochargers take over afterward.

It's certainly clever. This improved the powerful performance of the vehicle without sacrificing much else to achieve this. Other automakers have already begun to implement their own systems, so expect to see this become a more common practice with factory turbocharged vehicles.