By this definition, even turbochargers, which happen to be turbine-driven superchargers would fit the description. But for sake of simplicity and as it applies to cars, we’ll define a supercharger as any pump driven directly by the engine, such as by belt and pulley, whereas turbochargers will be defined as pumps driven by pressures of the exhaust gases.

Types of Superchargers

There are a number of “supercharger” types available for internal combustion engines. For the most part, these superchargers fall into the following two categories: