Differentiating itself from a turbocharger, the Kompressor uses a belt attached directly to the car's crankshaft. This crankshaft is designed to convert the linear motion of the pistons into a rotational energy that is further converted to whatever mechanical or electrical needs the car requires. The number of pistons, or cylinders, a crankshaft has partially determines a car's power, such as the increased power found in V8 (eight-cylinder) engines over V6 (six-cylinder) engines. Thus the supercharger is powered by a belt attached directly to the crankshaft, converting rotational energy into the energy needed to control forced induction.