What is the difference between ps and hp

Please change you browser settings. All manufacturers sometimes quote the power outputs of their engines using different units. This can be frustrating when trying to compare the pros of one new car or another.

This is the most widely used unit of measure. BHP is measured at the road wheels and measures the power left over from the engine after the other loads have used some of the power like the gearbox and alternator etc. This differs to traditional HP or horsepower which is the total engine output measured at the flywheel. It is also referred to as metric horsepower. Although considering the rise of the electric car, it would make a whole tonne of sense to start switching, as the capabilities of electric motors are measured using kWh Kilowatt hours which dictates how long the electric motors can produce a certain amount of power for.

Horsepower was deemed equivalent to a horse moving 33, pounds of mass one foot in one minute. This new-found unit allowed Watt to show direct comparisons between his steam locomotives and the common horse that dominated the haulage business up until the invention of the steam engine. Horsepower still survives as the main power unit for us petrolheads in the UK and you lot over in the USA, staving off any outside influences from Continental Europe and Australasia.

Again, this power unit can be found by a torque translation using a similar equation to that of the Watt:. Horsepower can become a tricky business however, with values measured in different ways. BHP brake horsepower refers to the equipment needed to test the engines for their power outputs, with a large drum with a water brake within it measuring the braking force once the engine is spinning at a desired rate.

Over in the US, this is measured with only some ancillary components attached to the powertrain, missing things like the power steering pump which would lead to a lack of parasitic losses if in place. WHP or wheel-horsepower is a greater indicator of the usable power that an engine produces, as this is calculated using the exact torque that has made it through the drivetrain and is driving the wheels.

This metric horsepower has been adopted throughout Europe as the new standard for power measurement and will probably make its way fully into the UK psyche in the not too distant future. The new hatchback now sports a new look and a new transmission ditching its old CVT that was seen in its previous iteration. Cars Motorcycles Trucks. Pickup Truck.

Station Wagon. Related: What is power-to-weight ratio and why is it important? HP Horsepower. The equation for measuring horsepower. Know the difference. Latest News. Jun 18,