Kilowatts to horsepower
Convert kilowatts to horsepower. Multiply by 1.341, with tables for electric cars, appliances and both horsepowers compared.
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The formula
hp = kW × 1.34102209The exactness runs the other way: mechanical horsepower is exactly 745.6998715822702 W, so kilowatts to horsepower is a division by that, which does not terminate.
To go the other way, multiply by 0.7456998716. See hp to kW.
Quick reference
| kW | hp | PS |
|---|---|---|
| 1 kW | 1.34 hp | 1.36 PS |
| 10 kW | 13.41 hp | 13.60 PS |
| 50 kW | 67.05 hp | 67.98 PS |
| 75 kW | 100.58 hp | 101.97 PS |
| 100 kW | 134.10 hp | 135.96 PS |
| 150 kW | 201.15 hp | 203.94 PS |
| 200 kW | 268.20 hp | 271.92 PS |
| 500 kW | 670.51 hp | 679.81 PS |
75 kW is almost exactly 100 hp — 100.6, close enough to use as a mental anchor in either direction.
Electric cars
EVs are specified in kilowatts because that is what the motor and the charger are rated in, so this is the conversion for putting an EV next to a combustion car:
| Model class | Motor | hp |
|---|---|---|
| Small EV | 100 kW | 134 hp |
| Family EV | 150 kW | 201 hp |
| Dual-motor | 250 kW | 335 hp |
| Performance EV | 400 kW | 536 hp |
| Charging, home AC | 7 kW | 9.4 hp |
| Charging, rapid DC | 150 kW | 201 hp |
A 150 kW rapid charger and a 150 kW motor are the same power — which is the useful way to picture charging speed: the car is being filled about as fast as it could be emptied by driving hard.
Appliances
Kilowatts are how anything plugged into a wall is rated, and horsepower is rarely useful here — but it makes the scale vivid:
| kW | hp | |
|---|---|---|
| LED bulb | 0.01 kW | 0.013 hp |
| Fridge, running | 0.15 kW | 0.20 hp |
| Microwave | 1.0 kW | 1.34 hp |
| Kettle | 2.5 kW | 3.35 hp |
| Domestic supply limit | 15 kW | 20.1 hp |
A kettle draws more power than three horses.
Which horsepower is the answer in
This page gives mechanical horsepower. If the figure is going into a European, Japanese, Korean or Taiwanese context, the expected unit is metric horsepower (PS), which is 1.4% smaller — so the same kilowatt figure gives a slightly larger number.
100 kW = 134.10 hp = 135.96 PSSee PS to hp.
Estimating in your head
Add a third. 150 kW plus 50 is 200 hp, against a true 201.2. For more precision, add a third and then 0.6%.