A supercharger is a compressor. Hence, a supercharged engine has a higher overall compression than a nonsupercharged engine having the same combustion chamber volume and piston displacement and will burn more fuel. Unfortunately, the increase in power is not proportional to the increase in fuel consumption.

Although turbochargers and superchargers perform the same function, the turbocharger is driven by exhaust gases, while the supercharger is driven by belts and gears. The turbocharger has a turbine and a compressor, and requires less power to be driven than a supercharger. The pressure of the hot exhaust gases cause the turbine to spin. Since the turbine is mounted on the same shaft as the compressor, the compressor is forced to spin at the same time, drawing 50% more air into the cylinders than is drawn in without the turbocharger. This creates more power when the air-fuel mixture explodes.