So, if you're thinking about getting an electric vehicle, or you've just got one, you've probably noticed something like kW or kWh alongside them, but what do they mean? It might seem confusing at first, but these terms are pretty similar to horsepower or miles per gallon (MPG).

Let's break down what these two terms mean for an electric vehicle, your battery, and your charging.

kW (kilowatt)

In the simplest way, a kilowatt (kW) is a unit of power.

Think of it as the rate or speed at which energy is being used or delivered. The simplest analogy is water: a kilowatt is like the pressure or flow rate of a hose.

When it comes to EVs, kW is used in two main places:

1. Motor Power: This is the most direct comparison to an Internal Combustion Engine (ICE) car. Just as an ICE car's engine is rated in horsepower (hp), an EV's motor is rated in kilowatts (kW). More kW means a more powerful motor, stronger acceleration, and better performance.
   • ICE Car: A 200 hp engine. (This is roughly 1.3x what kW would be)
   • EV: A 150 kW motor
2. Charging Speed: This is the other place you'll see kW, and it's just as important. It measures how fast a charging station can deliver energy to your car's battery. Think of it like how many litres per minute a fuel pump might give to an ICE car. More kW means faster charging.
   • Home Charger: 7 kW - 11 kW
   • Public Charger: 50 kW, 150 kW, or even 350 kW.

If you're not quite sure how charging at home or in public works, we also wrote a guide for that too.

kWh (kilowatt-hour)

Basically, kilowatt-hour (kWh) is a measurement of energy or capacity.

This is not a rate; it's the total amount. Looking back at our water analogy, if kW is the flow rate, then kWh is the total amount of water the bucket can hold.

Just like kW, this term also has two main uses:

1. Battery Size (Like Tank Size): This is the big one. The kWh rating of an EV's battery tells you its total storage capacity. This is the direct equivalent of the size of a fuel tank in an ICE car, measured in litres.
   • ICE Car: A 50-litre fuel tank.
   • EV: A 75-kWh battery pack.
   • A bigger battery (more kWh) holds more energy, which generally means more range.
2. Energy Consumption (Like MPG): This measures your car's efficiency. Instead of "miles per gallon," you'll use "miles per kWh". This tells you how much energy (how many kWh from your battery (or tank)) you use to drive 100 miles.
   • ICE Car: Gets 30 miles per gallon (MPG). (Higher is better)
   • EV: Uses 25 kWh per 100 miles. (Lower is better)

Final Thoughts

It's all about Power vs. Capacity.

In a sense, you can think of it like this, power and capacity.

• kW (kilowatt) refers to both power output and speed of charging.
• kWh (kilowatt-hour) is about energy capacity and fuel consumption.

Once you see it this way, it starts to make much more sense. kW and kWh aren't entirely new concepts, they're simply a way to measure things for electricity.

If you're still on the hunt for an EV, we'll certainly have something for you, whether you're looking to Rent, Subscribe, Lease, or Buy your perfect EV.

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