A somewhat antiquated unit of measurement of kinetic energy most commonly used to measure the power of motors and engines. Energy is energy, so virtually any type of energy can be expressed in horsepower. One horsepower is precisely equal to 746 watts of electricity, but the usual standard horsepower conversion is 1 kilowatt. This rounding off is done partially to simplify calculations and partially to account for the lost energy when electric energy is converted to kinetic energy by an electric motor.

See also: