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BHP Check

Enter a registration to check the BHP of a vehicle.

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Get a Full Check

Check the power produced by a vehicle just using the registration.

Frequently Asked Questions

How do I check the BHP of my vehicle?

Simply enter your registration to check the brake horsepower produced by your vehicle.

You can also check the top speed and 0-60 times for free.

What is brake horsepower (BHP)?

Brake horsepower (BHP) is a measurement of the power produced by a vehicles engine.

How is BHP measured?

Horsepower and Brake horsepower are measured using different methods.

Horsepower measures the power produced by the engine while brake horsepower is a measurement of how much of that power is sent to the wheels and includes power losses from friction.

HP is measured using a dynamometer connected to the engine, while BHP is measured by applying a brake to the flywheel.

What’s the difference between PS and BHP?

PS is the German translation for horsepower and is now the standard used to measure power in Europe (metric horsepower).

The amount of power required to lift 75KG one meter high in one second is the standard way of measuring PS.

What’s the difference between kW and BHP?

When comparing the power of a vehicle, 1 kW is equal to around 1.34 horsepower.

kW is a measure of how much energy is transferred by a vehicle over time. This can be measured on a rolling road.

How is BHP measured in electric cars?

When measuring vehicles with an internal combustion engine, the BHP figure is actually the peak power produced by the engine. The engine will need to reach a certain RPM before this power is achieved.

Electric vehicles can instantly produce maximum power from a stand still with no time needed to build up RPMs. For this reason comparing power figures from an electric vehicle with a petrol or diesel vehicle isn’t a straightforward comparison. Electric vehicles with a lower BHP figure can be as fast or faster than the equivalent ICE vehicle.

Comparing HP, BHP, PS & kW

The power output of a vehicle is measured using a number of different methods:

Horsepower (HP)

The total power output of the vehicle measured at the flywheel.

Brake horsepower (BHP)

The power output of a vehicle measured at the wheels. This will always be lower than the HP figure as some of the engine power is lost (for example at the gearbox).

Pferdestärke (PS)

This is a metric horsepower and is within 1.4% of the BHP figure. This is now the standard unit for vehicles in Europe.

Kilowatt (kW)

A Kilowatt is the amount of energy transferred by the vehicle over time. This is also a standard of measurement used by European vehicle manufactures.

Power Output Comparisons

BHPPSkW
200 BHP203 PS149 kW