Kilowatts to Horsepower Converter (kW to hp)

Registration documents in the EU and the UK record engine power in kilowatts, and so do electric-car spec sheets, motor nameplates and charger labels. Drivers and riders who think in horsepower convert the other way, for example to check a motorcycle against the power cap of a UK A2 licence or to compare an EV motor with a petrol engine. Charging hardware is labeled the same way, from 7 kW home wallboxes to 350 kW roadside chargers.

The answers here use the mechanical horsepower of about 745.7 W, the hp of US and UK usage. Many European brochures quote metric horsepower (PS) instead, which gives a figure about 1.4% higher for the same engine: 100 kW is about 134 hp but about 136 PS.

How to use this tool

1. Type a value in the Kilowatt box to see it in horsepower, or type in the Horsepower box to convert the other way.
2. Press ⇄ to swap the two units, or Load example for a typical value.
3. Check the charts below for common values; for other units, open the Power converter.

Formula

Horsepower (hp) = Kilowatt (kW) × 1.3410220896

Kilowatt (kW) = Horsepower (hp) × 0.745699871582

Both factors come from exact definitions: 1 horsepower = 0.745699871582 kilowatts and 1 kilowatt = 1.3410220896 horsepower (shown to 12 significant digits).

Example

Two conversions worked with the same factors the converter uses:

110 kW × 1.3410220896 ≈ 147.512 hp

300 hp × 0.745699871582 ≈ 223.71 kW

Kilowatt to Horsepower chart

Common values from kilowatts to horsepower, rounded to four decimal places.

Horsepower to Kilowatt chart

The reverse direction for values people often look up.

Power limits and ratings in kW

Quick mental estimate

Add a third: 150 kW → 150 + 50 = 200 hp. A third is a little under the true 0.341, so the estimate runs about 0.6% low; the exact figure is 201.2 hp.

Use the converter or the charts when the exact figure matters.

The two units

Kilowatt (kW): A kilowatt (kW) is 1,000 watts. Electric heaters, EV chargers, solar inverters and car engines outside the US are rated in kW.

Horsepower (hp): The mechanical horsepower selected here is exactly 550 foot-pounds-force per second, about 745.700 W. The bhp alias uses this mechanical unit; brake power describes a measurement of output, while other horsepower definitions, such as metric PS, have different values.