Units
hp to kW motor converter
Horsepower on a US or farm nameplate is not the same unit as kilowatts on an IEC plate. Plant engineers convert before they compare a 10 hp machine to a YE3 leaflet. This tool uses the mechanical conversion 1 hp = 0.746 kW (about 0.75 kW for a quote). Metric horsepower (1 PS ≈ 0.735 kW) is shown as a second line so you do not mix the two.
About this tool
Horsepower on a US or farm nameplate is not the same unit as kilowatts on an IEC plate. Plant engineers convert before they compare a 10 hp machine to a YE3 leaflet. This tool uses the mechanical conversion 1 hp = 0.746 kW (about 0.75 kW for a quote). Metric horsepower (1 PS ≈ 0.735 kW) is shown as a second line so you do not mix the two.
Who this is for
Use it when the old motor is marked in hp and you are asking JW for a kW IEC motor, or the other way around.
Calculator
Type in either box. Mechanical hp uses 0.746 kW; metric PS uses 0.735 kW.
What the numbers mean
- Horsepower (hp)
- A unit of mechanical power, not a motor “model”. James Watt defined it from mine pumps; the modern mechanical horsepower used on motors is 746 watts, so 1 hp = 0.746 kW. If a plate says 10 hp, the shaft is about 7.46 kW — you still pick poles, voltage and mounting separately.
- Kilowatt (kW)
- The SI unit. IEC 60034 motors are sold by rated output in kW. That kW is shaft output, not electrical input from the grid. Input ≈ output ÷ efficiency.
- Metric horsepower (PS / CV)
- Used on some European older plates. 1 PS = 75 kgf·m/s ≈ 735.5 W ≈ 0.735 kW. A “10 PS” motor is not the same as 10 mechanical hp.
- Conversion used here
- kW = hp × 0.746 (mechanical). hp = kW ÷ 0.746. For PS: kW = PS × 0.735. Round to the nearest IEC kW size when you send a JW enquiry (for example 10 hp → about 7.5 kW).
Common hp → kW (mechanical 0.746)
Use this table when the installed plate is in hp and the leaflet is in kW. “Nearest IEC size” is a starting quote, not a guarantee the old machine was that exact kW.
| hp (mechanical) | kW (= hp × 0.746) | kW if the plate were PS (× 0.735) | Nearest common IEC kW |
|---|---|---|---|
| 0.25 | 0.187 | 0.184 | 0.18 kW (nearest IEC leaflet size) |
| 0.33 | 0.246 | 0.243 | 0.25 kW (nearest IEC leaflet size) |
| 0.50 | 0.373 | 0.368 | 0.37 kW (nearest IEC leaflet size) |
| 0.75 | 0.560 | 0.551 | 0.55 kW (nearest IEC leaflet size) |
| 1.00 | 0.746 | 0.735 | 0.75 kW (nearest IEC leaflet size) |
| 1.50 | 1.119 | 1.103 | 1.1 kW (nearest IEC leaflet size) |
| 2.00 | 1.492 | 1.470 | 1.5 kW (nearest IEC leaflet size) |
| 3.00 | 2.238 | 2.205 | 2.2 kW (nearest IEC leaflet size) |
| 5.00 | 3.730 | 3.675 | 4 kW (nearest IEC leaflet size) |
| 7.50 | 5.595 | 5.513 | 5.5 kW (nearest IEC leaflet size) |
| 10.00 | 7.460 | 7.350 | 7.5 kW (nearest IEC leaflet size) |
| 15.00 | 11.190 | 11.025 | 11 kW (nearest IEC leaflet size) |
| 20.00 | 14.920 | 14.700 | 15 kW (nearest IEC leaflet size) |
| 25.00 | 18.650 | 18.375 | 18.5 kW (nearest IEC leaflet size) |
| 30.00 | 22.380 | 22.050 | 22 kW (nearest IEC leaflet size) |
| 40.00 | 29.840 | 29.400 | 30 kW (nearest IEC leaflet size) |
| 50.00 | 37.300 | 36.750 | 37 kW (nearest IEC leaflet size) |
| 60.00 | 44.760 | 44.100 | 45 kW (nearest IEC leaflet size) |
| 75.00 | 55.950 | 55.125 | 55 kW (nearest IEC leaflet size) |
| 100.00 | 74.600 | 73.500 | 75 kW (nearest IEC leaflet size) |
Common IEC kW → hp
| IEC kW | mechanical hp (÷ 0.746) | metric PS (÷ 0.735) |
|---|---|---|
| 0.75 | 1.01 | 1.02 |
| 1.1 | 1.47 | 1.50 |
| 1.5 | 2.01 | 2.04 |
| 2.2 | 2.95 | 2.99 |
| 3 | 4.02 | 4.08 |
| 4 | 5.36 | 5.44 |
| 5.5 | 7.37 | 7.48 |
| 7.5 | 10.05 | 10.20 |
| 11 | 14.75 | 14.97 |
| 15 | 20.11 | 20.41 |
| 18.5 | 24.80 | 25.17 |
| 22 | 29.49 | 29.93 |
| 30 | 40.21 | 40.82 |
| 37 | 49.60 | 50.34 |
| 45 | 60.32 | 61.22 |
| 55 | 73.73 | 74.83 |
| 75 | 100.54 | 102.04 |
Need a JW motor?
Send kW or hp, volts, frequency, poles, mounting, and a nameplate photo. Stock IEC three-phase (YE3 / Y2) or custom windings — we quote from the plate, not from the logo.
Contact JWMotor