Let's see how to know the horsepower of a car, thus answering one of the most frequently asked questions among drivers and motor enthusiasts. And the horsepower of a vehicle determines the force exerted by the engine about the tires, thus giving us much more information and determining aspects such as speed, acceleration or consumption of a specific car. Many with potential buyers who want to know first-hand the real data of a specific model, in addition to regular drivers who want to find out everything about the power of your vehicle. Then don't miss how to know the horsepower of a car.
How can I know the horsepower of my car?
Index of contents
- What are the horses of a car?
- Differences between fiscal horsepower and horsepower (CV) of a car
- Differences between horsepower (CV), horsepower (HP) and kW of a car
- How to calculate the CV of my car from kW or HP
- Where to find the horsepower (CV) of my car
What are the horses of a car?
The horsepower of a car refers directly to the power of a car through the so-called horsepower (CV), which determine the real power of a vehicle declared by its manufacturer. Horsepower or HP is a unit of measurement that determines the power necessary to lift 75 kilos to one meter in height in one second; The term comes directly from the 19th century when the power of steam engines was measured.
Differences between fiscal horsepower and horsepower (CV) of a car
As we have explained in the previous section, the horsepower (CV) of a car determines the physical measurement units necessary to quantify its power. For their part, the so-called fiscal horses determine the fiscal power of the car and will indicate the amount of money that you must pay to have a car of one power or another depending on the fiscal horsepower they have through the Mechanical Traction Vehicle Tax from Spain. Fiscal horsepower does not measure power itself, but classifies the cost of the tax to be paid for that specific vehicle.
Thus, the fiscal power or fiscal horsepower of a vehicle represents the result obtained from the engine's displacement through aspects such as the number and diameter of the cylinders and the piston stroke, all of which are very technical data. In short, the more engine displacement, the more fiscal horsepower.
Therefore, it is not necessary to know the tax horsepower of a car to determine its power in horsepower (CV) or kW, since there is no compatibility between both measurements.
Differences between horsepower (CV) and kW of a car
On the other hand, and now entering into how to find out the real power of a car, we are going to explain the main differences between the three main units of power measurement of a car, which are horsepower (CV), horsepower (HP ) and kilowatt (kW).
- Horsepower (CV): This is a measurement that was born in France in the 19th century that refers to the power necessary to lift 75 kgf (kilograms of force, that is, 1 kgf=1 kg) at 1 meter and in 1 second.
- Horsepower (HP): In this case it is a term of Anglo-Saxon origin that is not used in Spain that refers to the equivalence between steam engines and the power of draft horses, becoming used to measure the power of the first machines. It measures the power needed to lift 33,000 pounds at a speed of 1 foot per minute. It is a measure similar to CVs.
- Kilowatt (kW): It is a unit that is gradually becoming the most common, since it is the one recommended by the International System of Units. The k corresponds to the multiple of 1000 and the W to the watt (watt in Spanish). A watt measures energy generation in one joule per second.
How to calculate the CV of my car from kW or HP
To calculate horsepower (CV) from horsepower (HP) or kilowatts (kW), you will only have to calculate the following mathematical equivalences:
- 1 HP = 0.746 kW
- 1 HP = 1,014 HP
- 1 HP = 0.986 HP
- 1 HP = 0.736 kW
- 1 kW = 1,359 HP
- 1 kW = 1.34 HP
Where to find the horsepower (CV) of my car
If you want to know or calculate the horsepower (CV) of your car, you will have to look at the vehicle's technical data. Of course, in these technical documents you probably will not find CVs, since they are not usually included. But you will easily find the kilowatts (kW).
To calculate the HP you will only have to multiply the KW by 1.359; The result of this multiplication will give us the horsepower (CV) of the car. Thus, if your car has 150 kW, it will have a total of 203 HP, which is the result of multiplying the kW (150) by 1.359.
Now you know everything about the different types of car power, as well as the mathematical operation that you will have to perform to calculate horsepower (CV) from the kilowatts (kW) of your car.
