Kilowatt (kW)
The kilowatt (kW) is 1000 watts. Car engines, motors and heat pumps are rated in kW in most of the world.
Symbol: kW
Quantity: power (energy per unit time)
SI relation: 1 kW = 1000 W (exact)
Derivation: 1 kW = 10³ W
Exact: yes, by definition
Typical uses
- Engine and motor power (1 kW ≈ 1.34 hp)
- Heat pump and boiler capacity
- EV charging (7–350 kW)
Convert kilowatts to other units
| Conversion | 1 kW equals | Reverse |
|---|---|---|
| kilowatt to watt | 1000 W | watt to kilowatt |
| kilowatt to horsepower | 1.34102209 hp | horsepower to kilowatt |
| kilowatt to BTU per hour | 3412.141633 BTU/h | BTU per hour to kilowatt |
| kilowatt to refrigeration ton | 0.2843451361 TR | refrigeration ton to kilowatt |
| kilowatt to megawatt | 0.001 MW | megawatt to kilowatt |
| kilowatt to metric horsepower | 1.359621617 PS | metric horsepower to kilowatt |
| kilowatt to milliwatt | 1000000 mW | milliwatt to kilowatt |
| kilowatt to kilocalorie per hour | 859.8452279 kcal/h | kilocalorie per hour to kilowatt |
| kilowatt to foot-pound per second | 737.5621493 ft·lbf/s | foot-pound per second to kilowatt |
Open the Power Converter to convert any value between all units.
Sources
- The International System of Units (SI), 9th edition (SI Brochure), Bureau International des Poids et Mesures , Table 7, SI prefixes.
Last reviewed: . Factors are stored exactly and computed with 50-digit decimal arithmetic. See how we verify conversion factors.
Cite this page
APA
Scientific Converters. (2026, October 15). Kilowatt (kW). Retrieved October 17, 2026, from https://scientificconverters.com/units/kilowatt/
IEEE
Scientific Converters, "Kilowatt (kW)," scientificconverters.com. Accessed: Oct. 17, 2026. [Online]. Available: https://scientificconverters.com/units/kilowatt/