WHAT IS HORSEPOWER, TORQUE AND LOAD IN A VEHICLE?

 

 

The average car only needs about fifteen to twenty horsepower to maintain sixty miles per hour. So why do we have engines with horsepower measured in the hundreds? Here’s a bit about horsepower, torque and load. At Steinway Auto Repair, a leading car repair shop in Astoria, our customers have a variety of vehicles from very high power to just regular vehicles used for basic driving. Here is a short breakdown of how horsepower, torque and load function in your vehicle to give a smooth ride.

What is horsepower? Horsepower measures the amount of work your engine can do. The higher the horsepower on an engine, the more work the engine is capable of. While it only takes 15 to 20 horsepower to maintain 60 miles per hour, it takes more work to accelerate, go up hills, and run items like the alternator, air conditioner and other electrical equipment.

How about torque? Torque refers to the ability of the car to turn something, like the wheels. When your car is standing still, it takes more torque to overcome anything that’s keeping your car from moving. The more torque your car can generate, the easier it is to make the moving parts rotate.

What is Load? Load is the amount of work the engine is being asked to produce. Energy use, such as turning the air compressor, and driving conditions, such as going up hills, put demands on the engine that it must overcome with horsepower and torque.

While regular engine powered cars need additional horsepower and torque as they drive to overcome load, hybrids can run the engine at a constant rate. This is because the electric motors are creating the primary horsepower and torque, which saves fuel.

Check with your local mechanic if you are having performance issues with your vehicle such as a rough idle, trouble accelerating, slow to take off, and more. If you are in the Astoria area, our car repair shop in Astoria can help diagnose any performance issues and correct them.