eli5: Can horsepower be added to each other or is there overlap? Example: If Ferrari says that an electric motor on each front wheel can produce 100hp each, and the combustion engine produces 750hp. Is it actually 950hp exactly? Or is there overlap or less hp etc?

Question

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In: 103

Answer 1

Yes it can if it’s measured at the WHEELS.

Modern marketing (the race to the highest horsepower) means HP is measured at the CRANK of an engine. Measuring the engine’s horsepower but not necessary the “car’s” horse power.

The crank is the bit that sticks out of the engine, that spins the transmission and then the transmission spins the wheels. Horsepower gets lost along the way due to friction/heat and other inefficiencies. But what do you do if there’s an electric engine per wheel driving each wheel?

Best way to find out is to measure the end result (rubber hitting the road) and determine the horsepower there.