Skip to main content

Give your Ford Focus a McLaren P1 boost with Ricardo’s Hyboost electric supercharger

Hybrid technology is evolving faster than … well, a hybrid supercar. Surprisingly, hybridization is not all about gas savings. Sometimes it’s about performance. Engineering firm Ricardo re-jiggered a Ford Focus and the result is a car that can achieve 50 to 60 miles per gallon.

Ricardo specializes in downsizing engines and boosting them electrically… with a supercharger. In this specific model shown to Jay Leno, Ricardo took the stock 2.0-liter engine out and replaced it with a 1.1-liter.

Recommended Videos

The new, smaller displacement engine is turbocharged and electrically supercharged. The turbocharger adds power and acts as a generator, turning exhaust energy into electricity. This electricity is then sent to super-capacitors that hold the charge. When the car starts, the electric supercharger kicks in and provides low-rpm torque until the turbocharger spools up. The clever arrangement is called “Hyboost”.

Ricardo isn’t the first firm to implement such a powertrain setup. As you may know McLaren’s P1 utilizes the same electric supercharger setup. In fact, Ricardo was instrumental in engineering the exact system for the McLaren P1.

Unlike the $1-million McLaren P1, Ricardo’s Hyboost upgrade is set at an affordable $1,100. Hyboost turns the Ford Focus into a sporty, gas-sipping economy vehicle. To get the full story on Hyboost watch the video below with Jay Leno.

Joe Mahan
Former Digital Trends Contributor
Joe Mahan is an intern at Digital Trends working in the Cars section. He is currently a Junior at the University of Portland…
Waymo recalled 1,200 robotaxis following collisions with road barriers
Waymo Jaguar I-Pace

Waymo’s autonomous-car technology has made great advances over the years to the point where it’s now allowed to offer paid robotaxi rides in select locations in the U.S.

But the development of the technology is ongoing, and the robotaxi rides continue to gather valuable data for Waymo engineers to pore over as they further refine the driverless system to make it as reliable and efficient as possible. Which is why glitches will sometimes occur.

Read more
Apple CarPlay Ultra looks stunning in Aston Martin supercar debut
Apple CarPlay Ultra

Apple CarPlay Ultra is the next generation of the Cupertino, California-based firm's smartphone projection system for your car, and it's available in new vehicles in the US and Canada.

When we say "new cars", your options are very much limited to one brand... Aston Martin. So you'll need deep pockets if you want to experience CarPlay Ultra for yourself.

Read more
Archer’s flying taxis head to LA for the 2028 Olympics
archer air taxi la28 inglewood aerial a final

Remember the buzz about flying taxis zipping through Paris for the 2024 Olympics? That sci-fi fantasy never got off the ground —Germany’s Volocopter dream was denied certification, leaving fans staring at the same old ground traffic. But now, the skies are opening again for a second shot at glory—this time over Los Angeles.
Archer Aviation, the California-based electric vertical takeoff and landing (eVTOL) company, has been named the exclusive air taxi provider for the 2028 Los Angeles Olympic and Paralympic Games.
Archer’s Midnight aircraft, a piloted electric air taxi designed to carry four passengers, will be whisking around VIPs, fans, and stakeholders between venues and key locations like LAX, Hollywood, Santa Monica, and even Orange County. Think 10-20 minute flights that skip the infamous LA gridlock and land you right where the action is—on the roof, basically.
“We want to transform the way people get around Los Angeles and leave a legacy that shapes the future of transportation in America. There’s no better time to do that than during the LA28 Games,” said Adam Goldstein, CEO and founder of Archer Aviation.
And Midnight isn’t just a pretty rotor. It’s a whisper-quiet, emission-light aircraft with 12 rotors and a redundant, airline-level safety design.
What’s more, Archer and LA28 are working together to electrify vertiport hubs around the city—think futuristic sky stations—to serve not only Games-time needs but also to plant seeds for a post-Olympic air mobility network.
The air mobility market has been fast developing over the past few years, featuring the likes of Hyundai partnership with China’s XPeng HT Aero and Toyota's backing of Joby Aviation, a U.S. venture. Joby bought Uber Elevate in 2020, hoping to someday pair its air taxis with Uber’s ride-hailing app.
Archer, for its part, has been busy building a strategic partnership with United Airlines, which has already placed orders for the aircraft and is helping with logistics to integrate air taxis into airport-to-downtown travel. More than a demo for the cameras, the LA28 partnership will showcase urban air travel for real-world daily use, starting with one of the most high-profile events on Earth.
After raising false hopes in Paris, the air taxi dream is aiming for liftoff in LA—and this time, it might just stick the landing.

Read more