The New 1500HP Bugatti Chiron: An E-Charged SuperCar


It’s the kind of car that auto careers in sales are built on. With a sticker price just under $2.5 million, auto sales college graduates would love to be first in line to sell it, while car-lovers taking mechanic courses would just love to take a peek under the hood. We’re talking about the Chiron, the new supercar from Bugatti.

Something New and Electric

Named after legendary racer and Bugatti enthusiast Louis Chiron, this car is the successor to Bugatti’s extremely popular (and equally pricey) Veyron model, which is nearing the end of its production line. The Chiron boasts some things you might expect from a supercar released into today’s marketplace. Promoted features include:

  • 1,500 horsepower
  • Acceleration from 0 to 62 mph in under 2.5 seconds
  • An 8.0-litre quad-turbocharged W-16 engine
  • A rumoured top speed of 288 mph
  • Spacious interior and a strong ergonomic appeal

What you might not expect to find in the Chiron, but will, is a particularly electrifying component (forgive the pun) – two of the engine’s four turbochargers will be electric.

Electric Turbocharging is the Wave of the Future

Start/Stop engineElectrification seems to be popping up everywhere you look these days. Entire public transit networks are going electric and e-cars and hybrids are becoming increasingly popular. It’s no surprise that Bugatti is joining the trend.

The reasoning behind supercars going green might not be entirely about saving the planet. In fact, it probably has more to do with something that has been a part of their appeal for years: the desire for more speed and better performance.

Some of the advantages of electrically turbocharged cars are:

  • Better response time: With a traditional engine, there is a bit of lag after the driver presses on the accelerator. This is because the boost comes from extra exhaust gas and it takes time for it to reach the turbo charger. If the boost is coming from an electrical charger, there is significantly less lag.
  • On-demand boost: When the terrain changes and the car needs more torque to maintain speed, all cylinders generally kick in. With electric charging as part of the equation, the car can request and get only the boost that is needed, thus saving fuel and achieving the same results.
  • Optimal placement: When a turbo charged engine relies on exhaust gas to function, the plumbing dictates its placement under the hood. When the power is electrical, it can be placed anywhere. It also takes up much less space

Do you think electrical turbocharging is good for speed? Would you like to own or at least test-drive a Bugatti Chiron? Let us know in the comments.

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