Frequently Asked Questions — Horsepower to Watts
Question: How many watts in 1 horsepower?
Answer: 1 metric horsepower = 735.49875 watts. Multiply horsepower by 735.5 to get watts.
Question: How do I convert HP to watts?
Answer: Multiply the horsepower value by 735.49875. For example, 2 hp = 2 × 735.49875 = 1,470.998 W ≈ 1.47 kW.
Question: What is the difference between mechanical and metric horsepower in watts?
Answer: Mechanical horsepower (hp, used in the US) = 745.6999 watts. Metric horsepower (PS/CV, used in Europe) = 735.49875 watts. The difference is about 1.4%.
Question: How many watts is a 5 HP motor?
Answer: 5 × 735.49875 ≈ 3,677 W (metric hp). For mechanical hp: 5 × 745.7 ≈ 3,728 W. Either way, approximately 3.7 kW.
Question: Why are both HP and watts used to measure power?
Answer: Watts are the SI (metric) unit of power, used in science and electrical engineering. Horsepower is a legacy unit from the steam engine era, still widely used in the automotive and industrial industries.