In 1 kilowatts there are 1.341022 horsepower. Meanwhile in 1 horsepower there are 0.7457 kilowatts. Keep reading to learn more about each unit of measure and how they are calculated. Or just use the Horsepower to Kilowatts calculator above to convert any number.
* Values rounded to 6 decimal places for readability
To convert kilowatts (kW) to horsepower (hp), multiply the kilowatt value by 1.341.
Formula:
Example:
This conversion uses imperial (mechanical) horsepower, a common standard for engines and motors. A kilowatt is a unit of power equal to 1,000 watts, so converting kW to hp is just a unit change, not a change in actual output.
Multiply kilowatts by a conversion factor. The factor depends on which horsepower unit you mean.
They’re close, but not the same unit.
Because metric horsepower is a bit smaller, the same kW value gives a slightly higher PS number.
For the most used definitions:
Using standard conversions:
Divide horsepower by the right factor, or multiply by the watts per horsepower.
Quick rule: mechanical horsepower to kW is close to kW = hp × 0.7457.
Horsepower is not one exact unit. Different standards define horsepower with different watt values. That small unit change creates a small change in the final number, even with the same kW input.
It depends on what the spec sheet uses.
If you’re matching a label or document, use the same unit shown there.
kW measures power, which is the rate of doing work. Energy uses kilowatt-hours (kWh), which is power over time.
Example: a 50 kW motor running for 2 hours uses 100 kWh of energy.
No. Horsepower is power. Torque is turning force. They connect through engine speed (RPM).
For mechanical horsepower:
High torque at low RPM can feel strong, but horsepower shows how much work the engine can do over time.
The conversion factors come from fixed unit definitions, but published results often get rounded.
Common rounding:
Brake horsepower (bhp) describes how horsepower was measured, not a new power unit. It usually means engine output measured at the crankshaft, not at the wheels.
The kW to hp math stays the same. The difference comes from where and how the measurement was taken.
Use the same conversion formulas, then keep in mind that motor ratings may be listed as:
Only compare values that refer to the same type of rating.
For mechanical horsepower, a simple estimate works well:
For metric horsepower:
These are close enough for quick checks, but use full factors for precise work.
The Calculate Box tool to convert kilowatts to horsepower uses the open source script Convert.js to convert units of measurement. To use this tool, simply type a kilowatts value in the box and have it instantly converted to horsepower.