Power Converter
One mechanical horsepower equals 745.7 watts, so 1 kW is 1.341 hp. One kilowatt is about 3,412 BTU per hour. This power converter switches between watts, kilowatts, megawatts, horsepower, BTU per hour and kilocalories per hour as you type, using exact SI factors.
1 kW = 1.341022 hp
How to use the Power Converter
- Type a power value in the From box. It starts at 150 kW, a typical car engine.
- Choose the From and To units, for example kW and hp.
- Read the result in the To box, or type there to convert the other way.
- Use the swap button to reverse the units, and the chips to see the value in every other unit.
Formula
result = value × (from-unit in W) ÷ (to-unit in W)All units convert through watts: 1 kW = 1,000 W, 1 MW = 1,000,000 W, 1 hp (mechanical) = 745.699872 W, 1 BTU/h = 0.29307107 W and 1 kcal/h = 1.163 W.
Watts to horsepower table
Divide watts by 745.7 to get mechanical horsepower (hp), or by 735.5 to get metric horsepower (PS). A 250 W EU e-bike motor is 0.34 hp, a 750 W US e-bike motor is about 1 hp, and a 7.4 kW home EV charger is 9.9 hp.
| Watts | kW | hp | PS |
|---|---|---|---|
| 100 | 0.1 | 0.13 | 0.14 |
| 250 | 0.25 | 0.34 | 0.34 |
| 500 | 0.5 | 0.67 | 0.68 |
| 750 | 0.75 | 1.01 | 1.02 |
| 1,000 | 1 | 1.34 | 1.36 |
| 1,500 | 1.5 | 2.01 | 2.04 |
| 2,000 | 2 | 2.68 | 2.72 |
| 2,500 | 2.5 | 3.35 | 3.40 |
| 3,000 | 3 | 4.02 | 4.08 |
| 4,000 | 4 | 5.36 | 5.44 |
| 5,000 | 5 | 6.71 | 6.80 |
| 7,500 | 7.5 | 10.06 | 10.20 |
| 10,000 | 10 | 13.41 | 13.60 |
| 15,000 | 15 | 20.12 | 20.39 |
| 20,000 | 20 | 26.82 | 27.19 |
Horsepower to kilowatts table
Multiply horsepower by 0.7457 to get kilowatts. Engine and motor ratings in the table use mechanical horsepower; brake horsepower (bhp) uses the same unit.
| hp | kW | Watts |
|---|---|---|
| 0.5 | 0.37 | 373 |
| 1 | 0.75 | 746 |
| 1.5 | 1.12 | 1,119 |
| 2 | 1.49 | 1,491 |
| 3 | 2.24 | 2,237 |
| 5 | 3.73 | 3,728 |
| 7.5 | 5.59 | 5,593 |
| 10 | 7.46 | 7,457 |
| 25 | 18.64 | 18,642 |
| 50 | 37.28 | 37,285 |
| 100 | 74.57 | 74,570 |
| 150 | 111.85 | 111,855 |
| 200 | 149.14 | 149,140 |
| 300 | 223.71 | 223,710 |
| 500 | 372.85 | 372,850 |
Common power conversions
- 1 hp = 0.7457 kW
- 1 kW = 1.341 hp
- 100 kW = 134.1 hp
- 1 kW = 3,412 BTU/h
- 12,000 BTU/h = 3.517 kW (one ton of cooling)
Where each unit is used
- Watts and kilowatts: electrical devices, appliances, solar panels and EV motors
- Horsepower: car engines, motors and pumps
- BTU per hour: heating and air conditioning capacity
- Megawatts: power stations and wind turbines
Power Converter questions
How do I convert watts to horsepower?
Divide watts by 745.7 to get mechanical horsepower. For example, a 1,500 W motor is about 2.01 hp. To convert horsepower to kilowatts, multiply by 0.7457, so a 200 hp engine is 149 kW. Metric horsepower (PS) is slightly smaller, at 735.5 W.
How many horsepower is a kilowatt?
One kilowatt is 1.341 mechanical horsepower. European car specifications often list power in kW, so a 110 kW engine is about 148 hp. Electric vehicle motors are also rated in kilowatts. To convert the other way, multiply horsepower by 0.7457. A 300 hp engine is about 224 kW, and a 7 kW home EV charger delivers about 9.4 hp of power.
How do I convert kW to BTU per hour?
Multiply kilowatts by 3,412 to get BTU per hour. A 3.5 kW air conditioner is about 12,000 BTU/h, which is one ton of cooling. Divide BTU/h by 3,412 to get kilowatts. Heat pumps and furnaces are also rated this way, so the same factor lets you compare them. For example, a 2 kW electric heater delivers about 6,824 BTU/h of heat.
How many horsepower is 3,000 watts?
3,000 watts is 4.02 mechanical horsepower (hp) or 4.08 metric horsepower (PS). Divide watts by 745.7 for hp, or by 735.5 for PS. Other common values: 500 W is 0.67 hp, 1,000 W is 1.34 hp, 5,000 W is 6.71 hp and 10,000 W is 13.41 hp.
Are hp, bhp, PS and electrical horsepower the same?
Horsepower (hp) and brake horsepower (bhp) are the same unit, 745.7 W, so watts to bhp uses the same factor; bhp only says the power was measured at the engine crankshaft. Electrical horsepower, used on US motor nameplates, is exactly 746 W, 0.04% more. Metric horsepower (PS, CV or pk) is 735.5 W, about 1.4% less.
What is the difference between brake horsepower and wheel horsepower?
Brake horsepower is measured at the engine crankshaft, while wheel horsepower is what reaches the road after drivetrain losses. Wheel horsepower is typically 10 to 20% lower. Manufacturers quote engine (brake) power; chassis dynamometers measure wheel power. Comparing cars is only fair when both figures are of the same type.
What is the difference between power and energy?
Power is the rate of using energy; energy is the total amount used. A 2 kW heater running for 3 hours uses 6 kWh of energy. Power is measured in watts or horsepower, energy in joules or kilowatt-hours. Your electricity bill charges for energy, but your circuit breaker limits power.
How do I calculate electrical power from voltage and current?
Multiply voltage by current: power (W) = volts × amps for DC and resistive loads. A 230 V kettle drawing 10 A uses 2,300 W. For AC motors, also multiply by the power factor, and for three-phase supplies by √3.
Should I use watts or horsepower for renewable energy systems?
Use watts and kilowatts. Solar panels, inverters, batteries and wind turbines are all rated in watts, and electricity is billed in kilowatt-hours. Convert horsepower ratings of pumps or generators to watts to keep a system calculation consistent. Pool pumps and well pumps are the main exceptions still sold by horsepower.