Kilowatts to Horsepower conversion

Kilowatts to horsepower

Car makers in Europe, Australia and much of Asia quote engine output in kilowatts; the US, the UK and most car enthusiasts still think in horsepower. The conversion depends on which horsepower you mean. This page uses the mechanical (imperial) horsepower of 745.7 W: 1 kW = 1.34102 hp. The metric horsepower (PS, CV, ch) used in German and French brochures is slightly smaller, 735.5 W, giving 1 kW = 1.35962 PS.

Quick estimate

Multiply by 4 and divide by 3: 150 kW → 600 ÷ 3 = 200 hp (201 exactly). For PS, multiply by 1.36.

• 1 kW = 1.34 hp
• 10 kW = 13.41 hp
• 50 kW = 67.05 hp (a small city car)
• 75 kW = 100.58 hp
• 100 kW = 134.1 hp
• 150 kW = 201.15 hp
• 200 kW = 268.2 hp
• 300 kW = 402.31 hp
• 500 kW = 670.51 hp

Electric cars

EV motors are rated in kilowatts, which makes the conversion routine. A 150 kW motor is 201 hp; a dual-motor 400 kW car is 536 hp. The same kW figure also describes charging speed, but that is a different quantity — a 150 kW charger delivers energy, it does not "have 201 hp".

Which horsepower?

Mechanical hp (this page): 745.7 W — used in the US and UK. Metric hp / PS: 735.5 W — used in continental Europe and Japan, and by most manufacturers' marketing. Brake horsepower (bhp) is mechanical hp measured at the engine output shaft. The difference between hp and PS is 1.4 %, so a "300 PS" car is 296 hp.

Motors, generators and tools

Industrial motors are labelled in kW in metric countries and in hp in the US; a 7.5 kW motor is a 10 hp motor. Outboard engines and lawn equipment are still sold by horsepower almost everywhere, while generators are rated in kW or kVA.

Worked examples

A 110 kW hatchback. 110 × 1.341 = 148 hp (150 PS in a German brochure).

A 350 kW EV. 350 × 1.341 = 469 hp.

A 2.2 kW workshop motor. 2.2 × 1.341 = 2.95 hp — sold as a "3 hp" motor.

Frequently asked questions

How many horsepower is 1 kW? 1.341 mechanical hp, or 1.36 metric hp (PS).

What is 100 kW in hp? 134 hp.

Is kW the same as kWh? No. kW is power (rate); kWh is energy (amount). A 100 kW motor running for 30 minutes uses 50 kWh.

Related conversions

Horsepower to kilowatts reverses this page. For torque, 1 lb-ft is 1.356 Nm.

Good to know

Kilowatt ratings on electric motors can mean input or output power. Household appliances (kettles, heaters) quote electrical input; industrial motors and EV drive units quote mechanical output. A 2 kW kettle does not produce 2.7 hp of anything useful, while a 150 kW EV motor really does deliver about 200 hp at the wheels — more consistently than a petrol engine, because electric motors give full torque from zero rpm. When comparing an EV to a combustion car, the kW-to-hp figure is a fair comparison of peak power, but the EV's instant torque makes it feel stronger at low speed.