Fuel Efficiency - Mass Converter
Convert between mass-basis fuel efficiency units — specific energy (J/kg, cal/g, Btu/lb) and engine specific fuel consumption (g/kWh, lb/(hp·h)).
Results from this calculator are estimates provided for general informational purposes only, based on formulas, rates, and standards commonly accepted as of 2026. Figures may differ slightly from other calculators or professional sources due to rounding methods, differing assumptions, or regional regulations, and rules may change over time. Always consult a qualified professional — such as a financial advisor, healthcare provider, or other relevant specialist — before making decisions based on these results.
Result
200 g/kWh = 0.32879736 lb/(hp·h)
1 Gram per Kilowatt-hour = 0.0016439868 Pounds per Horsepower-hour
1 Pound per Horsepower-hour = 608.27739 Grams per Kilowatt-hour
200 g/kWh in every supported unit
What is a Fuel Efficiency - Mass Converter?
This converter handles two related but distinct mass-basis quantities on one page. The first group — joules per kilogram, calories per gram, Btu per pound — is specific energy, the calorific value locked inside a fuel: how much energy is released per kilogram burned. The second group — grams per kilowatt-hour, pounds per horsepower-hour — is specific fuel consumption (SFC), an engine's real-world efficiency rating: how much fuel mass it actually burns to deliver one unit of usable output.
The two groups are mathematical reciprocals of each other (bigger specific energy means less fuel needed per unit of energy, and vice versa), so this converter inverts automatically when you cross between them — the same reciprocal handling used by the site's Fuel Consumption Converter for L/100km. Within a single group, conversions are plain multiplication.
Conversion chart: Gram per Kilowatt-hour to Pounds per Horsepower-hour
Conversion table
| Gram per Kilowatt-hour (g/kWh) | Pound per Horsepower-hour (lb/(hp·h)) |
|---|---|
| 0.01 g/kWh | 1.64399E-05 lb/(hp·h) |
| 0.1 g/kWh | 0.00016439868 lb/(hp·h) |
| 1 g/kWh | 0.0016439868 lb/(hp·h) |
| 2 g/kWh | 0.0032879736 lb/(hp·h) |
| 3 g/kWh | 0.0049319604 lb/(hp·h) |
| 5 g/kWh | 0.008219934 lb/(hp·h) |
| 10 g/kWh | 0.016439868 lb/(hp·h) |
| 20 g/kWh | 0.032879736 lb/(hp·h) |
| 50 g/kWh | 0.08219934 lb/(hp·h) |
| 100 g/kWh | 0.16439868 lb/(hp·h) |
| 1000 g/kWh | 1.6439868 lb/(hp·h) |
Supported Units
| Unit | Symbol | Category |
|---|---|---|
| Joule per Kilogram | J/kg | Specific energy (energy/mass) |
| Kilojoule per Kilogram | kJ/kg | Specific energy (energy/mass) |
| Calorie (IT) per Gram | cal/g | Specific energy (energy/mass) |
| Btu (IT) per Pound | Btu/lb | Specific energy (energy/mass) |
| Kilogram per Kilojoule | kg/kJ | Specific fuel consumption (mass/energy) |
| Gram per Calorie (IT) | g/cal | Specific fuel consumption (mass/energy) |
| Pound per Btu (IT) | lb/Btu | Specific fuel consumption (mass/energy) |
| Pound per Horsepower-hour | lb/(hp·h) | Specific fuel consumption (mass/energy) |
| Gram per Kilowatt-hour | g/kWh | Specific fuel consumption (mass/energy) |
About These Parameters
- Value
- The fuel-efficiency figure you want to convert, expressed in the "From" unit. Accepts decimals.
- From Unit
- The unit your input value is currently measured in — a specific-energy unit like J/kg or Btu/lb, or an engine SFC unit like g/kWh.
- To Unit
- The unit you want the result converted into. Use the swap button to flip From and To instantly.
How Fuel Efficiency - Mass Conversion Works
The Formula
Within the same group (both specific energy, or both specific fuel consumption), conversion is a simple multiplication:
result = value × (factor of "From" unit ÷ factor of "To" unit)
Crossing between the two groups instead inverts through the base unit:
SFC unit = (factor of SFC unit) ÷ (value × factor of specific-energy unit)
For Gram per Kilowatt-hour → Pound per Horsepower-hour: 200 g/kWh = 0.32879736 lb/(hp·h).
Specific Energy vs. Specific Fuel Consumption
Specific energy (J/kg, cal/g, Btu/lb) describes a fuel's raw calorific value — an intrinsic property of the fuel itself, independent of any engine. Specific fuel consumption (g/kWh, lb/(hp·h)) instead describes how efficiently a real engine turns that stored energy into usable mechanical output, and depends on the engine's thermal efficiency, not just the fuel. A lower SFC figure always means a more fuel-efficient engine, the opposite direction from specific energy, where a higher figure means a more energy-dense fuel.
Why g/kWh Replaced lb/(hp·h)
Pounds per horsepower-hour was the standard engine efficiency rating through the early-to-mid 20th century, when horsepower was the universal power unit in aviation and marine engineering. As engine testing and international trade shifted to the metric kilowatt, grams per kilowatt-hour became the global standard — it's the figure printed on virtually every modern diesel and gasoline engine's technical datasheet today.
Example
A diesel engine rated at 200 g/kWh converts to about 0.32879736 lb/(hp·h) — a typical figure for a modern, efficient diesel; older or smaller gasoline engines often run well above 250 g/kWh.
Frequently Asked Questions
Why does a lower g/kWh mean a better engine, when higher J/kg means a better fuel?
They measure different things in opposite directions. J/kg (specific energy) is a property of the fuel — more energy per kilogram is always better. g/kWh (specific fuel consumption) is a property of the engine — it asks how much fuel mass is spent to deliver one unit of output, so less fuel for the same output means a more efficient engine.
Can I convert a fuel's calorific value directly into an engine's SFC rating?
This converter performs the mathematical reciprocal between the two groups, but that number alone assumes a perfectly (100%) efficient engine. Real engines lose energy to heat, friction, and exhaust, so an actual SFC rating is always numerically worse (higher) than the theoretical reciprocal of the fuel's calorific value.
How accurate are these conversions?
Every conversion factor used here is the exact, internationally recognized relationship between the underlying energy, mass, and power units (e.g. 1 kWh = exactly 3,600,000 joules) — results are limited only by floating-point display precision, not by rounded conversion constants.