3 ms·
> Before cars, people used vehicles called "horses"... the market was never going to accept 1HP Funnily enough, horses actually produce much more than 1 horsep
by nvader 7mo ago
> Before cars, people used vehicles called "horses"... the market was never going to accept 1HP
Funnily enough, horses actually produce much more than 1 horsepower. I think the story goes that James Watt estimated it would take a team of 10 horses resting and taking turns to pull a tractor/mill/whatever that keep 2 horses constantly busy, so that's how he calculated it.
But over shorter durations, horses can produce much more.
- bombcar 7mo ago> But over shorter durations, horses can produce much more. A human can generate more than a horsepower, too, for short times. I used to have how fast you'd have to go up a flight of stairs to have done so.
- IAmBroom 7mo agoYou can redline a car, too, but that's not the engine's working horsepower. However, Watt was a salesman, and intentionally misrepresented "mine pony power" as "horse power".
- 4gotunameagain 7mo agoNo but HP specs are always peak power in ICEs, and usually peak power in electric. Some more honest ones state steady state in electric, but they are the exception.