The final Kenworth Severe-Service K500 cabover has rolled off the assembly line.
The truck was completed on Aug. 12 at the Kenworth assembly plant in Renton, Washington, which ends production of the severe-service truck model after 14 years.
The K500 has been one of Kenworth’s premier models, gaining notoriety primarily within oil and gas exploration customers worldwide.
“The Kenworth K500 cabover has been a stellar truck model, and provided excellent performance and reliability for our customers worldwide,” said Laura Bloch, Kenworth assistant general manager for sales and marketing.
The K500 cabover used a combination of the Kenworth C500 drivetrain with a modern COE cab. The configuration addressed the need for an on and off-highway vehicle with improved jobsite visibility.
The K500 also offered more cab space than conventional models. The result was a shorter, more maneuverable truck or tractor with the mobile off-highway characteristics that made the Kenworth K500 highly desirable around the world.
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The truck featured a variety of configurations, including 6×4, 6×6, 8×8 and 10×10.
The last Kenworth K500 cabover was sold to Sintagma Holding for use by the Mining Society of Chitotolo (Sociedade Mineira do Chitotolo) in Luanda, Angola. The K500 will be used in a gold mining operation.
The truck produced features a Cummins 525 hp engine with 1,650 foot-pounds of torque, Allison 4700RDS seven-speed transmission and AxleTech tandem rear axles rated at 45,359 kg with a 9.59 rear axle ratio.
The front axle is a new Meritor front drive axle rated at 14,514 kg with a 9.66 axle ratio. The K500 also includes 30K front springs and Chalmers 130K dual rear suspension.
Throughout the last 14 years, Kenworth delivered K500 units to numerous customers and countries throughout the world. The first truck ordered was in 2006 and went to Karamay in China as part of a total order of eight K500s.
