Hyboost

The HyBoost project fitted a small, turbocharged 1.0-litre petrol engine into a standard Ford Focus and paired it with a low-cost electrical supercharger and a 12-volt-plus power management system to cut fuel consumption without sacrificing performance. This matters because reducing CO₂ from petrol cars typically requires expensive full hybrid systems or heavy battery packs. HyBoost aimed to achieve comparable efficiency gains at a fraction of the cost, using off-the-shelf components and a smaller engine. The project demonstrated that a downsized, electrically-assisted engine could match the power of a larger 2.0-litre car while meeting strict emissions targets over a standard driving cycle. If the approach is commercialised, it could lower the price of low-emission petrol vehicles, making them accessible to more drivers without requiring a switch to hybrid or electric powertrains. The technology targets the kind of incremental improvement that quietly reduces the carbon footprint of millions of existing car models, rather than demanding a wholesale shift in infrastructure or consumer behaviour.