Kilowatt and kilowatt-hour are often mentioned in measuring energy. Do you know the differences between these 2 units? If you are confused, read this article to understand the concepts and how they measure different aspects of electricity when it comes to electric vehicles.

Kilowatt (kW)

kW stands for kilowatt and is a unit of power used to measure the rate at which energy is consumed or produced. One kilowatt is simply 1,000 watts. In other words, it's the rate at which power is transferred from a charging station into your EV. The general rule of is that the higher the kW rating of the charger, the faster your electric car battery will charge. But be aware of this, not all EV batteries respond well to rapid charging.

Kilowatt-hour (kWh)

Car batteries store units of electricity. It stores kWh. KWh measures the capacity of the electric vehicle's battery, such as how much energy can be stored and, in turn, how much range your electric car has. In another way, a kWh is the amount of energy expended in one hour by a kilowatt of power. For example, imagine an electric car with a 50kW electric motor and a 50kWh battery. If you drive the car continuously at maximum speed, you will drain the battery in exactly one hour. 

Summary

Understanding kWh and kW is important to make informed decisions when purchasing an electric vehicle. For electric cars, kW is either the rate at which your battery will recharge or the size of the electric motor, while kWh is the capacity of the battery. These units give you valuable information about the vehicle's range, performance, and charging requirements, which are all crucial factors in determining if an electric vehicle is the right choice for your needs.