Who invented the turbocharger?

The inventor of the turbocharger was Swiss engineer Alfred Büchi, who was granted a patent for "auxiliary supercharger technology for internal combustion engines" by the German Patent Office on November 16, 1905. Büchi's invention was initially applied to diesel engines and successfully completed a single-cylinder engine test in 1911. Subsequently, during World War I, French engineer Auguste Rateau used it to enhance the high-altitude performance of petrol engines in fighter aircraft. It was not until 1961 that General Motors first attempted to apply it to Chevrolet models, while the real breakthrough in civilian adoption was attributed to the Swedish company Saab. Its 1976 Saab 99 Turbo became the world's first mass-produced turbocharged passenger car. Modern turbocharging technology continues to evolve through innovations such as electric turbochargers and twin-scroll designs, but its core principle still remains based on Büchi's original concept. This technology not only increases engine power and torque but also optimizes fuel economy and emission performance, making it a mainstream configuration in today's automotive industry.