How many horsepower is 1000 watts?

1000 watts equals 1.341 mechanical horsepower, 1.340 electrical horsepower, or 1.360 metric horsepower (PS). The differences are small but matter in precision engineering work.

What is the difference between mechanical, electrical, and metric horsepower?

Mechanical horsepower (745.69987 W) is the standard US measure for engines and motors. Electrical horsepower (exactly 746 W) is defined by IEEE for electric motor ratings. Metric horsepower — PS in German or CV in French — equals 735.49875 W and is used for vehicle power ratings in Europe and Asia.

Why does my European car's PS rating differ from the US hp figure?

One metric PS equals 735.49875 W, while one mechanical hp equals 745.69987 W. A 200 PS European engine is about 197.2 mechanical hp. The difference is roughly 1.4%, which adds up noticeably at high power levels.

Which horsepower type should I use for electric motors?

US electric motor nameplates use electrical horsepower (1 hp = 746 W exactly). This is the standard set by NEMA and IEEE. Use the Electrical HP type when comparing US motor datasheets.

Is this converter accurate enough for engineering work?

Yes. The conversion factors match ISO and IEEE standards to six significant figures, which is sufficient for motor selection, drive sizing, and equipment specification.

Can I convert horsepower back to watts?

Yes. Switch to the HP to Watts tab, select the HP type (mechanical, electrical, or metric), enter the HP value, and the tool multiplies by the appropriate factor to give you watts and kilowatts.

Watts to Horsepower Converter

Enter watts and instantly see the equivalent in mechanical, electrical, and metric horsepower — plus a reverse mode and reference table.

Power Converter

Watts (W)

Quick presets

Result in Horsepower

Enter a watt value on the left to see results.

Common Power Reference

Device / Motor	Watts	hp (mech)	PS (metric)

Copied to clipboard

Summary

This converter turns any watt value into the three internationally recognized horsepower units: mechanical (imperial) hp used in US engine ratings, electrical hp used for US electric motor nameplates, and metric horsepower (PS/CV) used in European and Asian vehicle specs. Enter a watt value and all three HP figures appear at once. A reverse mode lets you type an HP value and get watts back, and a clickable reference table covers common motors and engines from hand drills to car engines.

How it works

Enter a watt value in the input field.
The tool divides the watt value by each conversion factor: 745.69987 W/hp for mechanical, 746 W/hp for electrical, and 735.49875 W/PS for metric.
All three horsepower results appear simultaneously.
Switch to HP to Watts mode to reverse the conversion — pick the HP type and enter a value.
Click any row in the reference table to load that device's watt value into the converter.

Use cases

Convert an electric motor's watt rating to horsepower for equipment specification sheets.
Compare a European car's PS rating against an American hp figure.
Verify generator output listed in watts against an HP-rated load.
Size a motor drive or VFD when the motor nameplate shows only watts.
Cross-check pump power specs between metric and imperial datasheets.
Look up where a household appliance or industrial motor falls on a power scale.

Frequently Asked Questions

Last updated: 2026-06-19 · Reviewed by Nham Vu