Buying a car advertised with a certain power in horsepower (hp) and then finding a lower value in the registration document can generate distrust among consumers. However, according to the article, the answer is simple: it is not necessarily a scam or false information. The same car can show different power values depending on the document or measurement method used.
In electric vehicles, there is a particularly important distinction between the maximum power that the system can deliver and the power it can sustain over a prolonged period. Regulation No. 85 of the United Nations Economic Commission for Europe defines a specific measurement called "maximum power for 30 minutes," which corresponds to the maximum useful power that an electrical system can provide, on average, during that period. This can be lower than the maximum power of the drivetrain system when the battery is a limiting factor.
There is also a simpler explanation for the difference in values: in Portugal, the Vehicle Registration Document shows power in kilowatts (kW), while brands promote vehicles using horsepower (cv). One kilowatt corresponds to approximately 1.36 hp, so the numbers will never be the same. For example, 110 kW corresponds to approximately 150 hp.
The situation becomes more confusing in electric vehicles because there can indeed be two different power values depending on the technical characteristic being measured. To avoid confusion, anyone who finds a discrepancy should confirm the exact version of the vehicle through the type-approval number and determine whether they are comparing kW with hp or two different types of power. Finding a lower number in the registration document does not automatically mean the vehicle has less power than what was purchased.
