BHP to KW converter and what other differences are there from petrol to electric?

Date Posted 20th January 2020
Read Time 3 min read

The world is becoming more electric. It’s feasible that in the not so distant future our roads may be a sea of electric-powered vehicles.

But with that comes change. Good change, mind. Fewer emissions, vehicles that are cheaper to run, interesting design concepts; all in all, it seems a hugely positive and exciting step.

However, what other changes do you need to take note of when choosing electric? Well, let’s take a look at a few.

BHP to kW

Of course, a big difference between the fossil-fuelled powered vehicles we’ve become so accustomed to and the newer, greener ones popping up is understanding their power.

BHP, or brake horsepower as it’s formally known, is a fairly well-understood barometer for power in today’s world. Even if you’re not a petrol head, it’s likely you know that a car with 600 bhp, for example, packs a serious punch.

But what about its electric equivalent; kilowatts, or kW.

As a general rule of thumb, 10 horsepower is roughly equivalent to 7.5kw – 7.457kW to be precise.

So, if you’re looking at a car’s kW and it’s around 75, you know in bhp terms it’s about 100 – not too far away from the standard for a family hatchback.

Differences between electric and petrol or diesel cars

Although a lot of cars look the same from the outside, there are a fair few other differences between electric and petrol or diesel-powered vehicles.

Volkswagen e-Golf

Much cheaper to run

For petrol, the average cost per mile is around 18p, whereas with electric it’s close to 4p. If you do 10,000 miles in a year, that’s a saving of almost £1,400 a year.

Cheaper to service

As an electric-powered vehicle has much less moving parts under its bonnet compared to a petrol or diesel, it’s cheaper to service and maintain.

Acceleration

With electric vehicles being battery-powered and not relying on an internal combustion explosion or torque for its drive, and the fact there’s no gearbox to slow you down, electric vehicles are much quicker off the line than their fossil-fuelled counterparts.

Fuel

Of course, the biggest difference is its fuel. Despite popular belief, fuelling up your electric vehicle is becoming easier and easier.

There are now more electric charging points across the UK than petrol stations.

Nissan Leaf

It does take longer to charge your battery than fill up with petrol; however, charging points are often located in more convenient places – office car parks, shopping centres, etc.

Thinking about choosing electric?

As you’d expect, almost every manufacturer now offers either an electric or hybrid variant of their petrol or diesel cars or a unique vehicle designed solely for electric power.

Even the likes of Range Rover, who specialise in big, off-road motorway destroyers provide an electric option nowadays. It’s simply because more and more people are buying them.

Electric vehicle deals

if you’re interested, here at Hippo Leasing we have a wide range of electric vehicles for you to choose from.

Kia Niro | £285.36/Month

Toyota Prius | £293.21

Mini Countryman | £295.22/Month

BMW 3 Series | £302.29/Month

Mercedes-Benz A Class | £318.01/Month

Why choose Hippo?

Here at Hippo, we pride ourselves in providing an unrivalled, personal and comprehensive service. We go the extra mile to make sure you get the car that’s right for you, and we’re rated Excellent on Trustpilot.

Join thousands of others who have trusted us with their car lease or purchase.

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