The watt
The watt (W) is the SI derived unit of power, equal to one joule per second. It is the standard unit for the rated power of every electrical device and every modern engine specification outside automotive marketing.
Watts to Metric horsepower Converter
1 W = 0.00135962 PS (watt → metric horsepower)
1 W = 0.00135962 PS
1 watt equals 0.00135962 metric horsepower. To convert watts to metric horsepower, multiply the watt value by 0.00135962. For quick reference: 1 W = 0.00135962 PS, 5 W = 0.00679811 PS, 10 W = 0.0135962 PS, 100 W = 0.135962 PS.
Formula
Metric horsepower = Watts × 0.00135962Quick
When to use watts → metric horsepower
Watts to metric horsepower (PS / CV) divides by 735.49875 — the metric horse is exactly 75 kgf·m/s by definition. A 750 W e-bike motor is 1.02 PS; a 1500 W kettle draws 2.04 PS. The conversion matters mostly in reverse-checking European car brochures against electrical specs. Don't confuse the two horsepowers: dividing by the US mechanical hp figure (745.69987 W) instead gives a number about 1.4 % lower — small on a kettle, a real discrepancy on a 200 kW engine spec.
European e-bike regulators use this to check compliance: an EU-legal pedal-assist motor capped at 250 W is rated at just 0.34 PS, a figure that sounds almost trivial next to a car engine but explains why e-bike motors feel modest compared to a moped — the legal wattage cap, not marketing, sets the real performance ceiling in every EU market.
How to convert watts to metric horsepower
Take your value
Start with your value in watts.
Multiply by 0.00135962
Multiply the watt value by 0.00135962. This is the exact conversion factor from watts to metric horsepower.
Read the result
The product is your value in metric horsepower. For example, 5 W × 0.00135962 = 0.00679811 PS.
Conversion formula
The exact factor from watts to metric horsepower is 0.00135962.
Metric horsepower = Watts × 0.00135962
Watts to Metric horsepower conversion table
Fifty common reference values, hand-picked for skim utility. Use the calculator above for any value not listed.
| Watts (W) | Metric horsepower (PS) |
|---|---|
| 0.1 W | 0.00013596 PS |
| 0.5 W | 0.00067981 PS |
| 1 W | 0.0013596 PS |
| 2 W | 0.0027192 PS |
| 5 W | 0.0067981 PS |
| 8 W | 0.010877 PS |
| 10 W | 0.013596 PS |
| 15 W | 0.020394 PS |
| 20 W | 0.027192 PS |
| 25 W | 0.033991 PS |
| 30 W | 0.040789 PS |
| 40 W | 0.054385 PS |
| 50 W | 0.067981 PS |
| 60 W | 0.081577 PS |
| 75 W | 0.10197 PS |
| 100 W | 0.13596 PS |
| 125 W | 0.16995 PS |
| 150 W | 0.20394 PS |
| 200 W | 0.27192 PS |
| 250 W | 0.33991 PS |
| 300 W | 0.40789 PS |
| 400 W | 0.54385 PS |
| 500 W | 0.67981 PS |
| 600 W | 0.81577 PS |
| 750 W | 1.0197 PS |
| 800 W | 1.0877 PS |
| 1000 W | 1.3596 PS |
| 1200 W | 1.6315 PS |
| 1500 W | 2.0394 PS |
| 1800 W | 2.4473 PS |
| 2000 W | 2.7192 PS |
| 2500 W | 3.3991 PS |
| 3000 W | 4.0789 PS |
| 5000 W | 6.7981 PS |
| 7500 W | 10.197 PS |
| 10000 W | 13.596 PS |
| 15000 W | 20.394 PS |
| 20000 W | 27.192 PS |
| 25000 W | 33.991 PS |
| 50000 W | 67.981 PS |
| 75000 W | 101.97 PS |
| 100000 W | 135.96 PS |
| 200000 W | 271.92 PS |
| 500000 W | 679.81 PS |
| 1000000 W | 1359.6 PS |
| 2000000 W | 2719.2 PS |
| 5000000 W | 6798.1 PS |
| 10000000 W | 13596 PS |
| 100000000 W | 135962 PS |
| 1000000000 W | 1359622 PS |
Real-world reference
An LED bulb uses about 8 W. A typical microwave oven draws around 1,000 W.
Frequently asked questions
- How many metric horsepower are in 1 watt?
- 1 watt equals 0.00135962 metric horsepower.
- How do I convert watts to metric horsepower?
- Multiply the watt value by 0.00135962. So x W × 0.00135962 = the equivalent in PS.
- What is 5 watts in metric horsepower?
- 5 watts equals 0.00679811 metric horsepower.
- What is 10 watts in metric horsepower?
- 10 watts equals 0.0135962 metric horsepower.
- What is 100 watts in metric horsepower?
- 100 watts equals 0.135962 metric horsepower.
- How do I convert back from metric horsepower to watts?
- Multiply the metric horsepower value by 735.499. For example, 1 PS = 735.499 W.
- Is the watt bigger than the metric horsepower?
- No. 1 watt is smaller than 1 metric horsepower. It takes 735.499 watts to equal 1 metric horsepower.
- Are these conversion factors exact?
- The factor is derived directly from the SI definitions of watt and metric horsepower; the displayed value is rounded for readability, and the browser computes using IEEE 754 double-precision arithmetic.
About the watt and the metric horsepower
The metric horsepower
Metric horsepower (PS in German, CV in French and Italian) is defined as exactly 75 kgf·m/s, or 735.49875 W. It is about 1.4% smaller than mechanical (imperial) horsepower, which matters for spec comparisons across markets.