EV terms, in plain English
kW vs kWh
kW tells you how quickly energy is being used or delivered. kWh tells you how much energy is stored or consumed.
They look almost identical, but kW and kWh measure two completely different things.
A kilowatt (kW) measures power — how quickly energy is being delivered or used.
A kilowatt-hour (kWh) measures energy — how much electricity is stored or consumed.
Think of filling a swimming pool. kW is like the rate at which water comes through the hose. kWh is the amount of water that ends up in the pool.
In an EV, battery size is measured in kWh. A 75 kWh battery therefore holds roughly 50% more energy than a 50 kWh battery.
Charging speed is measured in kW. A 150 kW DC charger can potentially deliver energy much faster than a 50 kW charger.
Motor power is also measured in kW. The higher the motor’s kW output, generally the more performance it can produce.
Why it matters: you’ll see both figures constantly when comparing EVs. Just remember: kWh = how much energy; kW = how fast.
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