How do you convert hp to kW?
Multiply the number of horsepower by 0.7457. A figure quoted in hp almost always comes from an English-speaking source: check before comparing it with a European spec sheet, which uses metric horsepower or kilowatts.
hp = kW ÷ 0.7457
Engine power in horsepower and kilowatts
| 50 hp | 37.3 kW |
| 75 hp | 55.9 kW |
| 100 hp | 74.6 kW |
| 125 hp | 93.2 kW |
| 150 hp | 111.9 kW |
| 200 hp | 149.1 kW |
| 250 hp | 186.4 kW |
| 300 hp | 223.7 kW |
| 400 hp | 298.3 kW |
| 500 hp | 372.8 kW |
| 1,000 hp | 745.7 kW |
Show every value
- 1 hp = 0.7457 kW
- 2 hp = 1.4914 kW
- 3 hp = 2.2371 kW
- 4 hp = 2.9828 kW
- 5 hp = 3.7285 kW
- 6 hp = 4.4742 kW
- 7 hp = 5.2199 kW
- 8 hp = 5.9656 kW
- 9 hp = 6.7113 kW
- 10 hp = 7.457 kW
- 11 hp = 8.2027 kW
- 12 hp = 8.9484 kW
- 13 hp = 9.6941 kW
- 14 hp = 10.4398 kW
- 15 hp = 11.1855 kW
- 16 hp = 11.9312 kW
- 17 hp = 12.6769 kW
- 18 hp = 13.4226 kW
- 19 hp = 14.1683 kW
- 20 hp = 14.914 kW
- 21 hp = 15.6597 kW
- 22 hp = 16.4054 kW
- 23 hp = 17.1511 kW
- 24 hp = 17.8968 kW
- 25 hp = 18.6425 kW
- 26 hp = 19.3882 kW
- 27 hp = 20.1339 kW
- 28 hp = 20.8796 kW
- 29 hp = 21.6253 kW
- 30 hp = 22.371 kW
- 31 hp = 23.1167 kW
- 32 hp = 23.8624 kW
- 33 hp = 24.6081 kW
- 34 hp = 25.3538 kW
- 35 hp = 26.0995 kW
- 36 hp = 26.8452 kW
- 37 hp = 27.5909 kW
- 38 hp = 28.3366 kW
- 39 hp = 29.0823 kW
- 40 hp = 29.828 kW
- 41 hp = 30.5737 kW
- 42 hp = 31.3194 kW
- 43 hp = 32.0651 kW
- 44 hp = 32.8108 kW
- 45 hp = 33.5565 kW
- 46 hp = 34.3022 kW
- 47 hp = 35.0479 kW
- 48 hp = 35.7936 kW
- 49 hp = 36.5393 kW
- 50 hp = 37.285 kW
- 51 hp = 38.0307 kW
- 52 hp = 38.7764 kW
- 53 hp = 39.5221 kW
- 54 hp = 40.2678 kW
- 55 hp = 41.0135 kW
- 56 hp = 41.7592 kW
- 57 hp = 42.5049 kW
- 58 hp = 43.2506 kW
- 59 hp = 43.9963 kW
- 60 hp = 44.742 kW
- 61 hp = 45.4877 kW
- 62 hp = 46.2334 kW
- 63 hp = 46.9791 kW
- 64 hp = 47.7248 kW
- 65 hp = 48.4705 kW
- 66 hp = 49.2162 kW
- 67 hp = 49.9619 kW
- 68 hp = 50.7076 kW
- 69 hp = 51.4533 kW
- 70 hp = 52.199 kW
- 71 hp = 52.9447 kW
- 72 hp = 53.6904 kW
- 73 hp = 54.4361 kW
- 74 hp = 55.1818 kW
- 75 hp = 55.9275 kW
- 76 hp = 56.6732 kW
- 77 hp = 57.4189 kW
- 78 hp = 58.1646 kW
- 79 hp = 58.9103 kW
- 80 hp = 59.656 kW
- 81 hp = 60.4017 kW
- 82 hp = 61.1474 kW
- 83 hp = 61.8931 kW
- 84 hp = 62.6388 kW
- 85 hp = 63.3845 kW
- 86 hp = 64.1302 kW
- 87 hp = 64.8759 kW
- 88 hp = 65.6216 kW
- 89 hp = 66.3673 kW
- 90 hp = 67.113 kW
- 91 hp = 67.8587 kW
- 92 hp = 68.6044 kW
- 93 hp = 69.3501 kW
- 94 hp = 70.0958 kW
- 95 hp = 70.8415 kW
- 96 hp = 71.5872 kW
- 97 hp = 72.3329 kW
- 98 hp = 73.0786 kW
- 99 hp = 73.8243 kW
- 100 hp = 74.57 kW
- 125 hp = 93.2125 kW
- 150 hp = 111.855 kW
- 175 hp = 130.4975 kW
- 200 hp = 149.14 kW
- 225 hp = 167.7825 kW
- 250 hp = 186.425 kW
- 275 hp = 205.0675 kW
- 300 hp = 223.71 kW
- 325 hp = 242.3525 kW
- 350 hp = 260.995 kW
- 375 hp = 279.6375 kW
- 400 hp = 298.2799 kW
- 425 hp = 316.9224 kW
- 450 hp = 335.5649 kW
- 475 hp = 354.2074 kW
- 500 hp = 372.8499 kW
- 550 hp = 410.1349 kW
- 600 hp = 447.4199 kW
- 650 hp = 484.7049 kW
- 700 hp = 521.9899 kW
- 750 hp = 559.2749 kW
- 800 hp = 596.5599 kW
- 850 hp = 633.8449 kW
- 900 hp = 671.1299 kW
- 950 hp = 708.4149 kW
- 1,000 hp = 745.6999 kW
- 1,500 hp = 1,118.5498 kW
- 2,000 hp = 1,491.3997 kW
- 2,500 hp = 1,864.2497 kW
- 3,000 hp = 2,237.0996 kW
- 3,500 hp = 2,609.9496 kW
- 4,000 hp = 2,982.7995 kW
- 4,500 hp = 3,355.6494 kW
- 5,000 hp = 3,728.4994 kW
- 5,500 hp = 4,101.3493 kW
- 6,000 hp = 4,474.1992 kW
- 6,500 hp = 4,847.0492 kW
- 7,000 hp = 5,219.8991 kW
- 7,500 hp = 5,592.749 kW
- 8,000 hp = 5,965.599 kW
- 8,500 hp = 6,338.4489 kW
- 9,000 hp = 6,711.2988 kW
- 9,500 hp = 7,084.1488 kW
- 10,000 hp = 7,456.9987 kW
The mechanical horsepower is exactly 550 foot-pounds-force per second, that is 745.6998716 W. It is not the metric horsepower of 735.49875 W used across continental Europe, nor the electrical horsepower of 746 W applied to electric motors in the United States. Methodology & sources.
Frequently asked questions
Are hp and PS the same thing?
No, and the gap is 1.4 %. Mechanical horsepower is 745.7 W, metric horsepower 735.5 W. An American car rated 300 hp delivers 304 PS in European terms. The difference stays quiet but compounds: at 500 hp it reaches seven metric horsepower.
Why do European registration documents show kW?
Because the kilowatt is the legal unit and carries no ambiguity, unlike horsepower, of which two definitions circulate. The tax rating printed on the same document is not a power unit but a taxation band, computed differently from one country to the next.
Where does the figure 745.7 come from?
From James Watt, who in the eighteenth century set the power of a draught horse at 550 foot-pounds per second so he could sell steam engines in units his customers understood. The value was deliberately generous: a real horse sustains closer to 0.5 hp over a working day.
How many kW is a 150 hp car?
111.9 kW. For scale, a city car sits around 60 to 80 kW, a family hatchback 90 to 130 kW, a sports car above 200 kW. An electric bicycle motor is capped at 0.25 kW in Europe, a third of one horsepower.
What do bhp and whp mean?
Where the measurement is taken. Brake horsepower is read at the crankshaft, with the engine alone on a bench. Wheel horsepower is read at the wheels, drivetrain included, and comes out 10 to 20 % lower depending on whether the car has a manual gearbox or an automatic with all-wheel drive. An engine quoted at 300 bhp often shows 250 whp on a rolling road: nothing is broken, they are simply not the same horsepower.