kW to HP Converter

How to convert kilowatts to horsepower

1 kilowatt = 1.34102209 horsepower. To convert kilowatts to horsepower, multiply by 1.34102209. A kilowatt is 1,000 watts. Mechanical horsepower is 550 foot-pounds per second, exactly 745.6998715822702 W (metric horsepower, PS, is 735.49875 W).

Worked examples

• 75 kilowatts = 100.577 hp (75 × 1.3410221)
• 150 kilowatts = 201.153 hp (150 × 1.3410221)
• 300 kilowatts = 402.307 hp (300 × 1.3410221)

Where this conversion comes up

Kilowatts are used for electric-motor and EV power, heaters and solar panels; horsepower for car, boat and lawn-mower engines. One kilowatt is 1.341 mechanical horsepower, so a 150 kW electric motor is 201 hp and a 300 kW EV is 402 hp. European car specs sometimes use metric horsepower (PS), where 1 kW is 1.36 PS.

Quick estimate

Multiply by 1.34, or add a third.

Common mistakes

• Dividing instead of multiplying. A horsepower is smaller than a kilowatt, so the number of horsepower must come out larger: 75 kilowatts = 100.577 hp.
• Rounding too early. Keep the full factor until the last step; rounding 1.34 to 1.3 first puts large values noticeably off.

Going the other way? Use the hp to kw converter.