The short answer: 8 horsepower comes to 5.965598973 kW. That is 8 multiplied by 0.7456998716, the factor fixed by definition, carried to full precision before anything is rounded for display.
5.9656 kW is 8 mechanical horsepower and 8.111 metric PS. Put that through a 1,400 kg car at 80% drivetrain efficiency and the energy needed to reach 100 km/h — 540.1 kJ — takes about 113 seconds to deliver, which is a floor rather than a real figure because it ignores drag and traction limits.
The result sits 0.0344 kW short of 6 kW, so if you need a round figure to quote, 6 kW is the honest nearest one. Plenty of people do this in their head: divide by 1.3 instead of using the exact factor 0.7456998716. At 8 that shortcut gives 6.1538462 kilowatts, off by 0.1882 kilowatts or about 3.16%. Fine for a rough estimate, not fine for anything you are cutting to size or dosing.
The formula
8 hp- The quantity being converted
0.7456998716- Exact kilowatts in one horsepower
5.965598973 kW- The converted result
How it works, step by step
- Take the horsepower value, 8.
- Multiply by 0.7456998716, the exact number of kilowatts in one horsepower.
- Result: 5.96559897266 kilowatts.
- Going the other way, divide rather than multiply — 5.965598973 kW ÷ 0.7456998716 brings you back to 8 hp.
Worked examples
The calculation
Take 8 hp and multiply by the factor 0.7456998716. The product is 5.96559897266 kW, and that is the entire method.
Proving it both ways
Divide the answer back: 5.965598973 kW ÷ 0.7456998716 returns 8 hp. If a converter fails this test it has inverted the factor, which is the single most common conversion error there is.
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Frequently asked questions
What is 8 horsepower in kilowatts?
It comes to 5.965598973 kW. The unrounded figure is 5.96559897266 kilowatts, if you need to carry it forward.
How do you convert horsepower to kilowatts?
Multiply by 0.7456998716. So 8 × 0.7456998716 = 5.965598973 kilowatts. The factor comes from a definition rather than a measurement, so it never changes.
What is 5.965598973 kilowatts back in horsepower?
Divide by 0.7456998716, or multiply by 1.34102209 — either returns 8 horsepower.
Is 8 hp a lot?
5.9656 kW is 8 mechanical horsepower and 8.111 metric PS. Put that through a 1,400 kg car at 80% drivetrain efficiency and the energy needed to reach 100 km/h — 540.1 kJ — takes about 113 seconds to deliver, which is a floor rather than a real figure because it ignores drag and traction limits. The reference table shows the values either side of it for comparison.
What is a horsepower?
Mechanical horsepower, defined by James Watt as 550 foot-pounds per second.
What is a kilowatt?
The rating unit for motors, EV chargers and solar arrays.
8 hp in kilowatts — nearby values
| Horsepower | Kilowatts | Unrounded |
|---|---|---|
| 2 hp | 1.4913997 | 1.491399743 |
| 3 hp | 2.2370996 | 2.237099615 |
| 4 hp | 2.9827995 | 2.982799486 |
| 5 hp | 3.7284994 | 3.728499358 |
| 6 hp | 4.4741992 | 4.474199229 |
| 7 hp | 5.2198991 | 5.219899101 |
| 8 hp | 5.965599 | 5.965598973 |
| 9 hp | 6.7112988 | 6.711298844 |
| 10 hp | 7.4569987 | 7.456998716 |
| 11 hp | 8.2026986 | 8.202698587 |
| 12 hp | 8.9483985 | 8.948398459 |
| 13 hp | 9.6940983 | 9.694098331 |
| 14 hp | 10.439798 | 10.4397982 |
Exact factor: 1 horsepower = 0.745699871582 kilowatts. The row for 8 hp is the value this page is about.