🔌 Converting Watts to Horsepower

PS vs HP, and how to read an e-scooter's power spec.

E-scooters and electric motors are usually specced in watts, while cars are specced in horsepower — making the two hard to compare directly.

The exact formula

One mechanical horsepower (HP) is about 745.7 watts. Divide watts by 745.7 to get HP.

Metric horsepower (PS) isn't the same as HP

European cars use PS (metric horsepower, 1 PS ≈ 735.5W), while US and UK cars use HP (1 HP ≈ 745.7W) — about a 1.4% difference. If a spec sheet just says "150 horsepower," it's worth checking which standard it means.

Reading e-scooter and e-bike specs

E-scooters typically list a rated wattage (350W, 500W, etc.). To get a rough feel for how that compares to a car's horsepower, divide by 745.7.

Rated power vs. peak power

Whether a wattage figure is "rated (continuous) power" or "peak power" makes a big difference in actual performance — check which one a spec sheet is quoting before converting it.