What does PS mean in cars? PS is short for Pferdestärke, which is German for "horse strength". It's the metric horsepower figure that most European brands print in their brochures and price lists. At First Vehicle Leasing, PS, bhp and kW come up in almost every enquiry. This guide explains what each unit means, how to convert between them and how much power you really need.
Key Takeaways
- PS is metric horsepower. 1 PS = 0.986 bhp = 0.7355 kW, so 150PS is about 148bhp or 110kW.
- PS and bhp both measure what the engine itself produces. The difference between the two numbers comes from the unit, not from where the power is measured.
- kW (kilowatt) is the official international unit and the one printed on your V5C logbook. kWh measures how much energy a battery holds, not power.
- For most drivers, 100–150PS is enough for town and motorway driving. If you tow, torque matters more.
- Engine power doesn't directly set company car tax or road tax. Under the 2026/27 rules, those depend on CO2 emissions and list price.
What Does PS Mean in Cars?
PS stands for Pferdestärke, the German word for horsepower. It's a metric unit: the power needed to lift 75kg by one metre in one second, which is 735.5 watts. One PS is slightly smaller than an imperial horsepower, so a car's PS figure is always about 1.4% higher than its bhp figure.
Most European manufacturers quote PS. You'll sometimes see CV (chevaux-vapeur), the French term used by some French and Italian brands. It's exactly the same as PS. The EU made the kilowatt the official unit of engine power in the early 1990s, but drivers never really took to kW figures, so brands kept printing PS next to them.
What Is Horsepower?
Horsepower measures how quickly an engine can do work. James Watt came up with it in the 18th century to help sell his steam engines, defining one horsepower as lifting 33,000 pounds by one foot in one minute. That works out at 745.7 watts, and it's the imperial horsepower that brake horsepower (bhp) is based on.
You can calculate horsepower from torque (the engine's twisting force, covered below) using this formula:
Horsepower = torque (lb-ft) × rpm ÷ 5,252
Here, rpm means revolutions per minute: how fast the engine is spinning. You need the torque figure at that exact engine speed, measured on a dynamometer or taken from the manufacturer's data. Glancing at the rev counter isn't enough.
What Is the Difference Between PS and BHP?
The difference is tiny. Both measure how much power the engine produces, just in slightly different units: 1 PS equals 0.986 bhp. A handy rule of thumb is to take one off for every 100PS. The 150PS version of the Volkswagen Golf, for example, produces 148bhp. Neither figure accounts for power lost through the gearbox.
The "brake" in bhp refers to the brake dynamometer that was traditionally used to load the engine and measure its output at the crankshaft. The power that actually reaches the road is lower, because some is lost through the gearbox and driveshafts. That figure is called wheel horsepower and is measured on a rolling road. You'll see bhp explained in different ways across the web. What Car?'s guide to bhp, PS and kW is a clear UK explainer if you want to read more.
The current Volkswagen Golf shows how this works on a spec sheet. There's a 115PS (113bhp) entry model, a 150PS (148bhp) mid-range option and a 265PS GTI.
How Do You Convert PS, BHP and kW?
To convert between units, multiply by a fixed factor. PS to bhp is × 0.9863, PS to kW is × 0.7355 and kW to bhp is × 1.341. The table below has every direction, with a 150PS car as the worked example so you can check the sums yourself.
| To convert | Multiply by | Example |
|---|---|---|
| PS to bhp | 0.9863 | 150PS = 148bhp |
| bhp to PS | 1.0139 | 148bhp = 150PS |
| PS to kW | 0.7355 | 150PS = 110kW |
| kW to PS | 1.3596 | 110kW = 150PS |
| bhp to kW | 0.7457 | 148bhp = 110kW |
| kW to bhp | 1.341 | 110kW = 148bhp |
Here are some common outputs you'll see on current cars, converted and rounded to the nearest whole number:
| PS | bhp | kW | Typical example |
|---|---|---|---|
| 100 | 99 | 74 | Small hatchbacks and city EVs |
| 116 | 114 | 85 | Toyota Aygo X Hybrid (combined system output) |
| 150 | 148 | 110 | Volkswagen Golf 1.5 eTSI |
| 204 | 201 | 150 | Volkswagen Golf eHybrid plug-in hybrid |
| 265 | 261 | 195 | Volkswagen Golf GTI |
| 650 | 641 | 478 | Hyundai Ioniq 5 N with N Grin Boost |
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Check my eligibilityWhat Is kW and Why Do Electric Cars Use It?
A kilowatt (kW) is 1,000 watts. It's the international standard unit of power and the one the DVLA uses. Electric cars are usually quoted in kW because their motors are electrical. As a guide, 1 kW is about 1.34 bhp or 1.36 PS, so a 150kW electric car produces roughly 204PS.
This explains a question we get a lot: "Why does my logbook show less power than the advert?" Your V5C (the DVLA registration document, or logbook) lists maximum net power in kW at field P.2. A car advertised at 150PS will show about 110 there. Nothing has gone missing.
Don't mix up kW and kWh. kW is power, meaning how fast energy is used. kWh (kilowatt-hour) is energy, which is how battery size is measured. You'll also see kW used for charging speed. Our electric car guide explains the rest of the EV jargon.
Some EVs have two power figures. The Hyundai Ioniq 5 N normally delivers 609PS (448kW). Pressing N Grin Boost raises that to 650PS (478kW) for 10 seconds at a time.
What Is Torque and Why Does It Matter?
Torque is the engine's or motor's twisting force, measured in newton metres (Nm) or pound-feet (lb-ft). If power tells you how fast a car can go, torque tells you how hard it pulls, especially from low revs. Diesels and electric cars deliver lots of torque early on, which is why they suit towing and heavy loads.
Power, torque and engine speed are linked. In metric units, kW = Nm × rpm ÷ 9,549. Illustrative example: an engine making 300Nm at 4,000rpm produces 300 × 4,000 ÷ 9,549 = about 126kW, or roughly 171PS.
How Much PS Do You Need in a Car?
For most UK drivers, 100–150PS is plenty. City cars cope well with less, and family cars that spend time on motorways feel more relaxed nearer 150PS. You only need more than that if you want performance. If you tow or carry heavy loads, look at torque and the towing limit rather than PS alone.
| How you drive | Sensible power | Current examples |
|---|---|---|
| Mostly town and short trips | Around 70–120PS | Dacia Spring (70hp or 100hp), Toyota Aygo X (116PS) |
| Mixed driving with regular motorway use | Around 115–150PS | Volkswagen Golf 1.5 (115PS or 150PS) |
| Towing or heavy loads | Prioritise torque and towing limit | Diesel and electric models with strong low-down torque |
| Performance driving | 250PS and above | Golf GTI (265PS), Hyundai Ioniq 5 N |
So is 115PS enough for a family car? Around town, yes. Autocar found the 115PS Golf a little marginal when joining a motorway or overtaking, and preferred the extra pull of the 150PS. Weight also makes a big difference. The Aygo X's 116PS takes it from 0–62mph in 9.2 seconds, which is quick for a city car. The same output would feel much slower in a heavy SUV.
Does More Power Cost More to Lease and Tax?
Only indirectly. PS isn't part of any UK tax calculation. HMRC sets company car tax, or Benefit in Kind (BIK), as a percentage of list price based on CO2 emissions: 4% for electric cars in 2026/27, and 17% to 37% for petrol and diesel. More powerful versions usually cost more and emit more CO2, so they tend to land in higher bands.
Road tax, or Vehicle Excise Duty (VED), works the same way. For 2026/27 there's a £440 annual expensive car supplement on cars with a list price over £40,000. For zero-emission cars, it only applies above £50,000 (see GOV.UK's vehicle tax rules for electric cars). HMRC's company car tax guidance explains how BIK is calculated. Road tax is normally included in your lease rentals.
Your rental reflects the gap between what the car costs and what it's forecast to be worth at the end of the lease, plus interest charges. That's why a higher-powered version of the same car usually costs more each month. For EVs, salary sacrifice can reduce the cost further.
How Do You Check a Car's Real Power Output?
Check which unit the brochure uses, then convert so every car you're comparing is in the same unit. PS, bhp and kW figures from different sources can't be compared directly. Look at torque and 0–62mph times as well, because peak power on its own doesn't tell you how a car feels to drive day to day.
- Confirm the unit. European brands usually quote PS. UK reviewers often use bhp. The DVLA uses kW.
- Check for boost modes. Some EVs quote a temporary peak figure, so look for the continuous output too.
- For hybrids, find the system output. This is the combined figure for the engine and electric motor.
- Match power to weight. The same output feels very different in a supermini and a seven-seat SUV.
- Test the trim you'll lease. If you drive a higher-powered version, the lower one might feel slow afterwards.
Which number should you trust most? Based on FVL's experience, the 0–62mph time and a test drive of the exact engine are more useful than the headline power figure. Our lease jargon buster explains other terms you'll come across.
Find the Right Power for Your Next Lease
First Vehicle Leasing has spent over 25 years helping drivers choose cars that suit how they actually drive. Tell our team your mileage, your usual routes and your budget, and we'll suggest engines and models that fit.
Call us on 0333 003 3325 or browse our latest offers.
Related guides
How Business Leasing Affects Your Tax & AccountsBenefit-in-Kind (BiK) Tax Explained: What a Company Car CostsElectric Car Salary Sacrifice Explained | UK Tax & SavingsLeasing vs PCP: The Real Differences ExplainedView all guidesFrequently Asked Questions
Sources
- What is BHP? And how is it different to HP, PS and kW? - What Car?
- Vehicle tax for electric, zero and low emission vehicles - GOV.UK
- Tax on company benefits: company cars - GOV.UK / HMRC
Written by Andy Bell, First Vehicle Leasing.
