Power Converter
Convert watts, kilowatts, megawatts, horsepower (mechanical and metric) and BTU/hr.
Quick answer
- Formula: Result = Value × (factor of from-unit in watts) ÷ (factor of to-unit in watts)
- Worked example — Converted power: 134.102209 (full example below).
Power Converter
| Converted power | 134.102209 |
| Summary | 100 kW = 134.102209 hp |
A 100 kW motor is 134.1 mechanical horsepower — the conversion car makers use when quoting EV power in hp.
Convert power — the rate of doing work — through the watt. One mechanical horsepower is 550 foot-pounds per second = 745.699871582 W. The metric horsepower (PS, used for European car ratings) is slightly smaller at exactly 735.49875 W, and 1 BTU per hour is 0.29307107 W.
So a '150 hp' American engine is about 152 PS, and a 100 kW electric motor is about 134 hp.
The formula
Worked example
A 100 kW motor is 134.1 mechanical horsepower — the conversion car makers use when quoting EV power in hp.
The example is pre-loaded in the result panel — press Calculate with your own numbers to replace it.
Frequently asked questions
How many watts are in one horsepower?
745.7 W for mechanical horsepower. Metric horsepower (PS) is 735.5 W, so the same engine has a slightly bigger number in PS.
Is power the same as energy?
No — power is energy per unit time. A 2 kW heater uses 2 kWh of energy every hour it runs.
How do I convert an air conditioner's BTU/h to kW?
Divide BTU/h by about 3412. A 12,000 BTU/h ('one ton') unit is about 3.52 kW of cooling.
Category: Unit Conversions calculators
Sources & methodology
This calculator applies the formula shown on this page exactly as written, using the standard definitions for its inputs. Results are computed from the values you enter — no data is stored — and are rounded only for display.
Content last reviewed by CalcHub Editorial.
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