{"organism":"Page","children":[{"organism":"Container.Raw","children":[{"organism":"Metadata","model":{"title":"Pulling the right rein: Horsepower explained","text":"\u003Cp\u003EWhen discussing cars or other vehicles, you’re likely to hear the word pop up, and this begs many questions.\u003C/p\u003E\r\n\r\n\r\n\r\n\r\n","links":[{"name":"Pulling the right rein: Horsepower explained","value":"https://www.shell.com.au/shell-fuels/go-well-content-hub/pulling-the-right-rein-horsepower-explained.html"}],"image":{"src":"https://www.shell.com.au/shell-fuels/go-well-content-hub/pulling-the-right-rein-horsepower-explained/_jcr_content/root/metadata.shellimg.jpeg/1695826763049/pulling-the-right-rein-horsepower-explained.jpeg","alt":"Pulling The Right Rein: Horsepower Explained","width":3734,"height":2099},"date":"2020-11-10T18:30:00.000Z","tags":[{"name":"Maintenance","value":"audiences:relevant-professions/maintenance"},{"name":"Drive Well","value":"shell:business/business-customers/drive-well"}]},"id":"/content/shell/countries/australia/en_au/shell-fuels/go-well-content-hub/pulling-the-right-rein-horsepower-explained/jcr_content/root/metadata"},{"organism":"ContentOwner","model":{},"id":"/content/shell/countries/australia/en_au/shell-fuels/go-well-content-hub/pulling-the-right-rein-horsepower-explained/jcr_content/root/contentowner"},{"organism":"Container.Header","children":[{"organism":"Container.Raw","ref":"https://www.shell.com.au/_jcr_content/root/header/inherited.model.json","id":"/content/shell/countries/australia/en_au/shell-fuels/go-well-content-hub/pulling-the-right-rein-horsepower-explained/jcr_content/root/header/inherited","model":{}},{"organism":"Breadcrumb","model":{"links":[{"name":"Home","value":"https://www.shell.com.au/"},{"name":"Shell fuels","value":"https://www.shell.com.au/shell-fuels.html"},{"name":"Go Well Content Hub","value":"https://www.shell.com.au/shell-fuels/go-well-content-hub.html"},{"name":"Pulling the right rein: Horsepower explained","value":"https://www.shell.com.au/shell-fuels/go-well-content-hub/pulling-the-right-rein-horsepower-explained.html"}]},"id":"/content/shell/countries/australia/en_au/shell-fuels/go-well-content-hub/pulling-the-right-rein-horsepower-explained/jcr_content/root/header/breadcrumb"}],"id":"/content/shell/countries/australia/en_au/shell-fuels/go-well-content-hub/pulling-the-right-rein-horsepower-explained/jcr_content/root/header","model":{}},{"organism":"Container.Main","children":[{"organism":"Container.Section","children":[{"organism":"PageHeader","color":"inherited","model":{"title":"Pulling the right rein: Horsepower explained","text":"\u003Cp\u003EWhen discussing cars or other vehicles, you’re likely to hear the word pop up, and this begs many questions.\u003C/p\u003E\r\n\r\n\r\n","image":{"src":"https://www.shell.com.au/shell-fuels/go-well-content-hub/pulling-the-right-rein-horsepower-explained/_jcr_content/root/main/section/page_header.shellimg.jpeg/1695826734073/pulling-the-right-rein-horsepower-explained.jpeg","alt":"Pulling The Right Rein: Horsepower Explained","width":3834,"height":959},"date":"2020-11-10T18:30:00.000Z"},"id":"/content/shell/countries/australia/en_au/shell-fuels/go-well-content-hub/pulling-the-right-rein-horsepower-explained/jcr_content/root/main/section/page_header"},{"organism":"Container","children":[{"organism":"Author.Info","id":"/content/shell/countries/australia/en_au/shell-fuels/go-well-content-hub/pulling-the-right-rein-horsepower-explained/jcr_content/root/main/section/simple/author","model":{"links":[{"name":"By Shell on Nov. 11, 2020"}],"image":{"src":"https://www.shell.com.au/shell-fuels/go-well-content-hub/pulling-the-right-rein-horsepower-explained/_jcr_content/root/main/section/simple/author.shellimg.png/1695825424221/shell-pecten.png","alt":"Shell Pecten","width":2500,"height":1405}}},{"organism":"PromoSimple.Text","color":"inherited","id":"/content/shell/countries/australia/en_au/shell-fuels/go-well-content-hub/pulling-the-right-rein-horsepower-explained/jcr_content/root/main/section/simple/text","model":{"text":"\u003Cp\u003EHow much power does a horse actually produce and who worked it out? Why use horses as a measurement of car’s power? What does it all mean anyway?\u003C/p\u003E\r\n\u003Cp\u003EThere is logic to the madness, but to explain it all we’ll have to go back. Way back.\u003C/p\u003E\r\n"}},{"organism":"PromoSimple.Text","color":"inherited","id":"/content/shell/countries/australia/en_au/shell-fuels/go-well-content-hub/pulling-the-right-rein-horsepower-explained/jcr_content/root/main/section/simple/text_254802470","model":{"title":"A steam genesis","text":"\u003Cp\u003EIt all starts with the appearance of the first steam engines in the early 18th century and the need to explain what these new-fangled machines could do.\u003C/p\u003E\r\n\u003Cp\u003EWith horses doing the heavy lifting in farming, mining and other industries, and steam engines being pitched as a replacement, people sought to compare the rate at which they could do work, otherwise known as ‘power’.\u003C/p\u003E\r\n\u003Cp\u003EThe concept really grew legs, however, when James Watt – the Scottish engineer honoured with the ‘watt’ measurement – started selling a new and improved steam engine in the late 18th century. He actually developed the vague concept of ‘horsepower’ into a specific metric. After studying a range of horses, he concluded that a theoretical single horse could carry 33,000 foot-pounds per minute (ft-lb/min).\u003C/p\u003E\r\n\u003Cp\u003EOther steam-engine makers would follow Watt’s lead and also use horsepower to rate them, as would those creating other motors – including the internal-combustion engines powering the first ‘horseless carriages’.\u003C/p\u003E\r\n"}},{"organism":"PromoSimple.Text","color":"inherited","id":"/content/shell/countries/australia/en_au/shell-fuels/go-well-content-hub/pulling-the-right-rein-horsepower-explained/jcr_content/root/main/section/simple/text_969773562","model":{"title":"Not all ‘horses’ are the same","text":"\u003Cp\u003EThe definition of a horsepower has expanded over centuries to suit different regions and purposes, including – among others – the addition of a metric unit to go with Watt’s original imperial measurement (also known as mechanical horsepower). For car buyers in the US, the UK and other countries – and a big chunk of motoring culture – it’s still the favoured measurement of an engine’s power.\u003C/p\u003E\r\n\u003Cp\u003EHere in Australia, its use is strictly colloquial – we’ve officially been using the metric unit kilowatt (kW) to rate engines since 1977. In case you’re wondering, 1 kW is equivalent to approximately 1.34 mechanical horsepower.\u003C/p\u003E\r\n"}},{"organism":"PromoSimple.Text","color":"inherited","id":"/content/shell/countries/australia/en_au/shell-fuels/go-well-content-hub/pulling-the-right-rein-horsepower-explained/jcr_content/root/main/section/simple/text_541957048","model":{"title":"What does it mean?","text":"\u003Cp\u003EPower is what makes acceleration happen, so, more power – assuming all other factors are equal – means faster acceleration. Which means the car with the bigger power number is always better, right?\u003C/p\u003E\r\n\u003Cp\u003EThis is where it gets complicated because there’s another key contributor to acceleration – torque. Torque is a measurement of the rotational or twisting force produced by an engine’s crankshaft. It’s a measurement of an engine’s capacity to perform work – in human terms, its sheer strength – where power, contrastingly, conveys the rate at which work can be performed.\u003C/p\u003E\r\n\u003Cp\u003EA good way to think of the difference between an engine with an emphasis on power and one with a lot of torque is to picture two people – ‘torque’ and ‘power’ - and two same-sized piles of dirt. Both successfully shovel the pile in the same duration but ‘torque’ has a big shovel and does the job with fewer, larger shovel-loads. They’ve both ended up with the same result but ‘power’ has worked more frenetically to get the same result.\u003C/p\u003E\r\n\u003Cp\u003EHow a vehicle accelerates in the real world comes down to a complex interplay between power, torque and revs, along with weight, aerodynamics, gearing, frictional losses and other factors. While an engine with a bigger power number will deliver better acceleration, if it’s still short of the revs needed to deliver peak power when a less powerful engine is already doing its best work or cranking out more torque, it may feel less responsive most of the time (at low to middling engine speeds).\u003C/p\u003E\r\n\u003Cp\u003EIn the end, it’s really horses for courses. If you’re a racing driver, revving an engine harder is a small price to pay for more power and going faster. If you’re just tootling around, however, it’s worth studying the specifications, because more power doesn’t always mean a ‘better’ drive.\u003C/p\u003E\r\n"}},{"organism":"PageTags","model":{"tags":[{"name":"Maintenance","value":"https://www.shell.com.au/tag-search.html?tag=audiences%3Arelevant-professions%2Fmaintenance"},{"name":"Drive Well","value":"https://www.shell.com.au/tag-search.html?tag=shell%3Abusiness%2Fbusiness-customers%2Fdrive-well"}]},"id":"/content/shell/countries/australia/en_au/shell-fuels/go-well-content-hub/pulling-the-right-rein-horsepower-explained/jcr_content/root/main/section/simple/page_tags"},{"organism":"PromoSimple.Text","color":"inherited","id":"/content/shell/countries/australia/en_au/shell-fuels/go-well-content-hub/pulling-the-right-rein-horsepower-explained/jcr_content/root/main/section/simple/text_256832803","model":{"text":"\u003Cp\u003E\u003Csup\u003EDisclaimer\u003C/sup\u003E\u003Cbr\u003E\r\n\u003C/p\u003E\r\n\u003Cp\u003E\u003Csup\u003EViva Energy Australia Pty Ltd (“Viva Energy”) has compiled the above article for your general information and to use as a general reference. Whilst all reasonable care has been taken by Viva Energy in compiling this article, Viva Energy does not warrant or represent that the information in the article is free from errors or omissions or is suitable for your intended use.\u003C/sup\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\r\n\u003Cp\u003E\u003Csup\u003EWhere information, recommendations, opinions or ideas have been sourced from third parties external to Viva Energy (Third Party Information), Viva Energy cannot be certain that the Third Party Information is accurate, current or complete, nor should a mention of any business, product, service or website of a third party be taken as a recommendation, approval or endorsement of, or warranty or claim regarding, that business, product, service or website.\u003C/sup\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\r\n"}}],"colspan":8,"id":"/content/shell/countries/australia/en_au/shell-fuels/go-well-content-hub/pulling-the-right-rein-horsepower-explained/jcr_content/root/main/section/simple","model":{}},{"organism":"Container","children":[{"organism":"PromoSimple.Text","color":"inherited","id":"/content/shell/countries/australia/en_au/shell-fuels/go-well-content-hub/pulling-the-right-rein-horsepower-explained/jcr_content/root/main/section/simple_1467275492/text","model":{"title":"Recommended articles"}},{"organism":"Author.Info","id":"/content/shell/countries/australia/en_au/shell-fuels/go-well-content-hub/pulling-the-right-rein-horsepower-explained/jcr_content/root/main/section/simple_1467275492/author","model":{"text":"\u003Cp\u003EBy Shell on Nov. 27, 2019\u003C/p\u003E\r\n\r\n\r\n\r\n\r\n","links":[{"name":"Why Correctly Inflated Tyres Are Essential","value":"https://www.shell.com.au/shell-fuels/go-well-content-hub/why-correctly-inflated-tyres-are-essential.html"}],"image":{"src":"https://www.shell.com.au/shell-fuels/go-well-content-hub/pulling-the-right-rein-horsepower-explained/_jcr_content/root/main/section/simple_1467275492/author.shellimg.png/1695826098728/shell-pecten.png","alt":"Shell Pecten","width":2500,"height":1405}}},{"organism":"Author.Info","id":"/content/shell/countries/australia/en_au/shell-fuels/go-well-content-hub/pulling-the-right-rein-horsepower-explained/jcr_content/root/main/section/simple_1467275492/author_1489064393","model":{"text":"\u003Cp\u003EBy Shell on Oct. 30, 2019\u003C/p\u003E\r\n\r\n\r\n","links":[{"name":"How To Keep Your Furbaby Car-Safe","value":"https://www.shell.com.au/shell-fuels/go-well-content-hub/how-to-keep-your-furbaby-car-safe.html"}],"image":{"src":"https://www.shell.com.au/shell-fuels/go-well-content-hub/pulling-the-right-rein-horsepower-explained/_jcr_content/root/main/section/simple_1467275492/author_1489064393.shellimg.png/1695826106843/shell-pecten.png","alt":"Shell Pecten","width":2500,"height":1405}}},{"organism":"Author.Info","id":"/content/shell/countries/australia/en_au/shell-fuels/go-well-content-hub/pulling-the-right-rein-horsepower-explained/jcr_content/root/main/section/simple_1467275492/author_108097469","model":{"text":"\u003Cp\u003EBy Shell on Jan. 12, 2021\u003C/p\u003E\r\n\r\n\r\n","links":[{"name":"Tyres Explained: The Rubbery Figures That Matter","value":"https://www.shell.com.au/shell-fuels/go-well-content-hub/tyres-explained-the-rubbery-figures-that-matter.html"}],"image":{"src":"https://www.shell.com.au/shell-fuels/go-well-content-hub/pulling-the-right-rein-horsepower-explained/_jcr_content/root/main/section/simple_1467275492/author_108097469.shellimg.png/1695826113221/shell-pecten.png","alt":"Shell Pecten","width":2500,"height":1405}}}],"colspan":4,"id":"/content/shell/countries/australia/en_au/shell-fuels/go-well-content-hub/pulling-the-right-rein-horsepower-explained/jcr_content/root/main/section/simple_1467275492","model":{}},{"organism":"Container.XF","id":"/content/shell/countries/australia/en_au/shell-fuels/go-well-content-hub/pulling-the-right-rein-horsepower-explained/jcr_content/root/main/section/experience_fragment","model":{}}],"id":"/content/shell/countries/australia/en_au/shell-fuels/go-well-content-hub/pulling-the-right-rein-horsepower-explained/jcr_content/root/main/section","model":{}}],"id":"/content/shell/countries/australia/en_au/shell-fuels/go-well-content-hub/pulling-the-right-rein-horsepower-explained/jcr_content/root/main","model":{}},{"organism":"Container.Footer","children":[{"organism":"Breadcrumb.Large","model":{"links":[{"name":"Home","value":"https://www.shell.com.au/"},{"name":"Shell fuels","value":"https://www.shell.com.au/shell-fuels.html"},{"name":"Go Well Content Hub","value":"https://www.shell.com.au/shell-fuels/go-well-content-hub.html"},{"name":"Pulling the right rein: Horsepower explained","value":"https://www.shell.com.au/shell-fuels/go-well-content-hub/pulling-the-right-rein-horsepower-explained.html"}]},"id":"/content/shell/countries/australia/en_au/shell-fuels/go-well-content-hub/pulling-the-right-rein-horsepower-explained/jcr_content/root/footer/breadcrumb"},{"organism":"Container.Raw","ref":"https://www.shell.com.au/_jcr_content/root/footer/inherited.model.json","id":"/content/shell/countries/australia/en_au/shell-fuels/go-well-content-hub/pulling-the-right-rein-horsepower-explained/jcr_content/root/footer/inherited","model":{}}],"id":"/content/shell/countries/australia/en_au/shell-fuels/go-well-content-hub/pulling-the-right-rein-horsepower-explained/jcr_content/root/footer","model":{}}],"id":"/conf/shell/settings/wcm/templates/base/structure/jcr_content/root","model":{}}],"model":{"title":"Pulling the right rein: Horsepower explained","text":"When discussing cars or other vehicles, you’re likely to hear the word pop up, and this begs many questions.","date":"2020-11-10T18:30:00.000Z","links":[{"name":"canonical","value":"https://www.shell.com.au/shell-fuels/go-well-content-hub/pulling-the-right-rein-horsepower-explained.html"},{"name":"errorUrl","value":"https://www.shell.com.au/error.html"},{"name":"hierarchy","value":"en_au/shell-fuels/go-well-content-hub/pulling-the-right-rein-horsepower-explained"},{"name":"homeTitle","value":"Shell Australia"},{"name":"homeUrl","value":"https://www.shell.com.au/"},{"name":"locale","value":"en-AU"},{"name":"title","value":"Pulling the right rein: Horsepower explained | Shell Australia"},{"name":"textDirection","value":"ltr"},{"name":"template","value":"base"},{"name":"contentPath","value":"/content/shell/countries/australia/en_au/shell-fuels/go-well-content-hub/pulling-the-right-rein-horsepower-explained"},{"name":"externalDisclaimerText","value":"Shell plc Legal Disclaimer\r\nYou are now leaving the Shell website.\r\nThe link you have selected will direct you to a website that is not controlled by Shell plc or any member of the Shell Group. Accordingly, neither Shell plc nor any member of the Shell Group endorses, adopts, certifies or otherwise validates the information and material contained on the linked website. This includes its sponsor and any policies, activities or services offered on the site, by any advertiser on the site or linked to the site.\r\nThank you for visiting the Shell website."},{"name":"themeMode"},{"name":"lastModified","value":"2026-07-15T11:36:41.279Z"},{"name":"dateModified","value":"2026-01-21T00:00Z"},{"name":"themeName","value":"base"},{"name":"themePath","value":"/etc.clientlibs/amidala/clientlibs/theme-base"},{"name":"themeCss","value":"/etc.clientlibs/amidala/clientlibs/theme-base.ACSHASHb291465fc8d3c7bcefde74d34044b698.css"}],"tags":[{"name":"Maintenance","value":"audiences:relevant-professions/maintenance"},{"name":"Drive Well","value":"shell:business/business-customers/drive-well"}],"image":{"src":"https://www.shell.com.au/shell-fuels/go-well-content-hub/pulling-the-right-rein-horsepower-explained/_jcr_content/root/metadata.shellimg.jpeg/1695826763049/pulling-the-right-rein-horsepower-explained.jpeg","alt":"Pulling The Right Rein: Horsepower Explained","width":3734,"height":2099}},"id":"/content/shell/countries/australia/en_au/shell-fuels/go-well-content-hub/pulling-the-right-rein-horsepower-explained/jcr_content"}