Convert KW to HP

To use the KW-to-HP converter:

1. Enter a value in either the KW or the HP field, leaving the other field empty.
2. Click the Convert button.
3. The corresponding value will display below the button.

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Kilowatt (kW) Definition and History

Kilowatt (kW) is an international unit of power equal to one thousand watts or one thousand joules per second. While its name honors James Watt–known for his groundbreaking improvements to steam engine efficiency during the late 18th century–its scaled version is known as kilowatt. As soon as the metric system spread worldwide, engineers and industries quickly adopted it as their standard measure of power measurement; by early 20th century its usage had become widespread.

Kilowatts (kW) are frequently used to measure the power output of electric motors, tools, machines and heaters. Residential electricity users usually opt for kilowatt-hours (kWh), which represents 1,000-watt consumption over an hour. Larger systems like industrial complexes or power plants usually opt for megawatts or gigawatts as their larger power demands call for their use instead.

Horsepower: Definition and History
Horsepower is a unit of power used to measure the rate at which work is completed. One mechanical (imperial) horsepower equals approximately 746.147 watts–about 550 foot-pound-force per second–while electric motors may typically use 746 watts as their horsepower rating. Boiler horsepower refers to the energy necessary to evaporate 34.5 pounds per hour of water at 212degF (100degC), or approximately 9,809.5 watts per hour of work done per hour at 212degF (100degC).

James Watt first introduced the term “horsepower” during his 18th-century steam engine work to compare their output with work performed by horses. Although similar observations had already been made by Thomas Savery as early as 1702, Watt’s influential promotion led to its widespread adoption and eventual standardization – eventually giving rise to various definitions tailored for different engine types and different definitions tailored specifically for them. While we will focus on imperial horsepower here, note that metric horsepowers can sometimes be found used and valued slightly lower at approximately about 735.5 watts.

KW to HP Conversion Table for Cars, Trucks, and Bikes

This table shows the conversion of Kilowatts (KW) to Horsepower (HP) for various types of vehicles. The conversion factor used is:

1 KW = 1.341 HP

KW (Kilowatts)	HP (Horsepower)
50	67.05
75	100.5
100	134.1
120	160.92
150	201.15
200	268.2
250	335.25
300	402.3
350	469.35
400	536.4
500	670.5
600	804.6
700	937.35
800	1072.8
1000	1341