Horsepower to Kilowatts
Convert horsepower to kilowatts instantly, with a reference table.
Horsepower to Kilowatts at a glance
Horsepower to Kilowatts is a free online converter you can use right now to convert horsepower to kilowatts instantly, with a reference table โ no account, no install and no usage limit. It runs entirely inside your browser, so whatever you enter stays on your own device.
- Price
- Free โ no trial, no paid tier, no watermark
- Sign-up
- Not required
- Where it runs
- In your browser โ nothing is uploaded to a server
- Works on
- Chrome, Safari, Firefox and Edge โ desktop, tablet and phone
- Category
- Unit Conversions
Horsepower to Kilowatts conversion table
| Horsepower (hp) | Kilowatts (kW) |
|---|---|
| 1 hp | 0.7457 kW |
| 2 hp | 1.4914 kW |
| 3 hp | 2.2371 kW |
| 5 hp | 3.728499 kW |
| 10 hp | 7.456999 kW |
| 25 hp | 18.642497 kW |
| 50 hp | 37.284994 kW |
| 100 hp | 74.569987 kW |
| 500 hp | 372.84994 kW |
| 1000 hp | 745.69987 kW |
About Horsepower to Kilowatts
Convert horsepower to kilowatts instantly, with a reference table of common values. The factor is exact: 1 hp = 0.745699872 kW.
Needed when an engine output quoted in horsepower has to go onto metric documentation โ vehicle registration and technical specifications in most countries use kilowatts.
Horsepower was devised by James Watt as a marketing measure โ he needed to express his steam engines' output in terms buyers already understood, so he estimated the sustained work rate of a draught horse. It is a genuinely arbitrary unit that survived on familiarity. It remains the standard for engine output in the United States and in automotive marketing worldwide, alongside kilowatts. One horsepower is about 746 watts, and a typical family car engine produces 120 to 200 hp.
Worked through with real numbers: 1 hp is 0.7457 kW, 100 hp is 74.57 kW, 1000 hp is 745.7 kW.
As for the other side of the conversion: one kilowatt is about 1.34 horsepower, and a typical electric car motor produces 100 to 200 kW.
Power is a rate โ energy per unit time โ not an amount of energy. A kilowatt describes how fast energy is used; a kilowatt-hour describes how much was used. Confusing the two is the most common error in reading an electricity bill.
How to use Horsepower to Kilowatts
- Enter the number of horsepower you want to convert.
- The equivalent in kilowatts appears instantly โ there is no button to press.
- Check the reference table for common Horsepower to Kilowatts values.
Frequently asked questions
How do I convert horsepower to kilowatts?
Multiply your horsepower figure by 0.745699872 to get kilowatts โ or type a value above and read the answer straight off.
How many kilowatts are in one horsepower?
1 hp = 0.745699872 kW.
When would I need to convert horsepower to kilowatts?
Needed when an engine output quoted in horsepower has to go onto metric documentation โ vehicle registration and technical specifications in most countries use kilowatts.
What is a horsepower, exactly?
Horsepower was devised by James Watt as a marketing measure โ he needed to express his steam engines' output in terms buyers already understood, so he estimated the sustained work rate of a draught horse. It is a genuinely arbitrary unit that survived on familiarity. One horsepower is about 746 watts, and a typical family car engine produces 120 to 200 hp.
Where is the kilowatt actually used?
It is standard for electric motor ratings, vehicle power in most of the world, and household electrical capacity. One kilowatt is about 1.34 horsepower, and a typical electric car motor produces 100 to 200 kW.
Is there anything tricky about power conversions?
Power is a rate โ energy per unit time โ not an amount of energy. A kilowatt describes how fast energy is used; a kilowatt-hour describes how much was used. Confusing the two is the most common error in reading an electricity bill.
Is this converter accurate?
Yes. It uses the exact standard factor of 1 hp = 0.745699872 kW, and the conversion runs in your browser so nothing is uploaded.