Kenworth has some of the most famous and well-built semi-trucks.
Have you ever wondered how fast your Kenworth semi-truck can go? Are you interested in finding out which Kenworth model is the fastest?
We’re covering everything speed-related and more in this article. Read on to find out!
Here’s How Fast a Kenworth Semi Truck Can Go:
The top speed of Kenworth semi-trucks varies between 65 and 100 miles per hour, depending on the truck model. The top speed of the Kenworth W990 is 100 mph. It can accelerate from 0-60 mph in around 14 seconds. Kenworth semi-trucks are often used in truck racing as they can be tuned to go faster.
Table of Contents
Here are the most popular Kenworth truck models and their top speed:
| Model | Year | Top Speed |
| W900L | 2021 | 85 mph |
| W990 | 2021 | 100 mph |
| T680 Next Gen | 2021 | 90 mph |
| T680 | 2021 | 75 mph |
| T680E | 2021 | 65 mph |
| T880 | 2021 | 75 mph |
| T380 | 2021 | 80 mph |
| T480 | 2021 | 80 mph |
| T800 | 2021 | 85 mph |
What is the Fastest Kenworth?
The fastest Kenworth semi-truck is the W990 which is the flagship model on offer by Kenworth. It was designed with performance and reliability in mind.
It has a mighty 12.9 liter PACCAR MX engine that produces 510 horsepower. It can drive the semi-truck well over 100 miles per hour when it is not electronically limited.
Most semi-trucks are governed, which means that their top speed is electronically limited. This is done to prevent drivers from speeding, especially when they have heavy loads of cargo.
Its powerful engine allows the Kenworth W990 to accelerate from 0-60 in just under 14 seconds. This is faster than the average semi-truck.
Even though a semi-truck can go over 80 miles per hour, it is not always safe to do so. Semi-trucks can become extremely unstable at high speeds, which can be dangerous on public roads.
What is the Slowest Kenworth?
The Kenworth T680E is the slowest semi-truck. However, this is only the case when it comes to top speed. The T680E has a top speed of only 65 miles per hour.
The Kenworth T680E has such a low top speed because it is an electric semi-truck. It is powered by a 396 kWh battery that can last for 150 miles.
However, it is much quicker in terms of acceleration. This is because the battery-powered motor delivers instant power, allowing it to accelerate from 0-60 miles per hour in around 10 seconds.
However, the battery power is not strong enough to power a semi-truck over 70 miles per hour.
How Fast can a Kenworth go with Empty Load Uphill?
The speed of an unladen semi-truck going uphill will depend on how steep the gradient is. In the majority of cases, semi-trucks will be significantly slower going uphill.
Even without heavy cargo, their weight becomes more difficult to drive up the hill as gravity will be pulling it back even more.
The top speed of a Kenworth semi-truck going uphill won’t be more than around 50 miles per hour, depending on how much momentum it carries before starting to head up the gradient.
Most semi-trucks won’t even reach 50 miles per hour from a standing start. Despite their powerful engines, there is just too much weight for them to power up a hill.
How Fast can a Kenworth go with Full Load Uphill?
With a full load of cargo, semi-trucks begin to struggle, going uphill. Considering that a fully loaded semi-truck weighs around 80,000 pounds, it is easy to understand why.
The sheer amount of weight that a semi-truck needs to pull uphill will slow it down. It’s difficult to say how fast a semi-truck can go uphill fully loaded.
It depends on how steep the gradient of the hill is and whether the semi-truck has any momentum before going up the hill.
In most cases, semi-trucks will naturally begin to slow down as they progress up the hill, so their speed will decline as they make their way up.
How Fast can these Popular Kenworth Models go?
Some of the most popular Kenworth models have been listed below. We’ll go through each one in detail and look closely at its top speed and the factors that influence how it achieves that top speed.
Kenworth has several different models available. The majority of their semi-trucks are popular as they offer excellent performance and build quality.
Kenworth W900L Top Speed
Top speed: 85 MPH
The Kenworth W900L is a day cab semi-truck with a long hood. It is quite heavy at almost 20,000 pounds. The long hood version adds some extra weight.
It is equipped with a PACCAR MX-13 engine that can produce 510 horsepower. This is a decent amount of horsepower, which allows it to run along the freeway comfortably.
Kenworth W990 Top Speed
Top speed: 100 MPH
The flagship W990 model is the fastest and strongest Kenworth semi-truck on the market. It has a PACCAR MX-13 engine. However, this one produces 610 horsepower.
The increase of power and weight reduction allows it to accelerate much faster and hit a higher top speed than the W900 model.
Kenworth T880 Top Speed
Top speed: 75 MPH
The Kenworth T880 is one of the heaviest models on offer. This is because it was designed to be a workhorse.
Thus, the top speed and acceleration of this semi-truck will suffer. With a beefed-up suspension and heavy-duty parts, you won’t expect this one to win any drag race.
Kenworth T800 Top Speed
Top speed: 85 MPH
While the T800 is also labeled a workhorse, it has a much lighter body than the T880. However, it only adds 10 miles per hour to the top speed.
This semi-truck is still incredibly heavy, and the MX-13 engine found in the T800 only produces 404 horsepower, significantly less than the other models.
Kenworth T680 Top Speed
Top speed: 75 MPH
The Kenworth T680 is a dependable semi-truck with a respectable top speed. It has a 510 horsepower PACCAR engine in it.
This semi-truck is a bit lighter at 14,000 pounds, which means it can still blast down the freeway comfortably despite having a mid-sized engine.
Kenworth T680 Next Gen Top Speed
Top speed: 90 MPH
The next generation of Kenworth T680 is innovative. It has been designed with aerodynamic efficiency in mind, which allows it to get better mileage.
However, a by-product of making it more aerodynamic is increasing the semi-trucks top speed.
By making the T680 more aerodynamic, the air flows around the semi-truck more fluidly, which causes less drag.
Kenworth T380 Top Speed
Top speed: 80 MPH
The Kenworth T380 is a much smaller semi-truck with a maximum weight rating of only 33,000 pounds.
This allows it to go a bit faster than other Kenworth models despite it only producing 325 horsepower, much less than any other models on our list.
Can Kenworth Semi-Trucks be Tuned to go Faster?
Kenworth semi-trucks can be tuned to go faster. You can change several things on your Kenworth not only to increase its top speed but also to accelerate it more quickly.
Some of these elements you can change by yourself. However, others may need expertise from a mechanic or workshop.
Many of these tuning techniques will cost you money, especially if you take your Kenworth to a workshop where labor will also be added.
However, in some cases, you don’t need to buy extra parts, which will save you some money. You can also swap out parts which can reduce the amount of money that you are spending.
If you’re planning on tuning your Kenworth to go faster, you need to consider some significant factors.
The first is that it will probably cost you a lot of money. It is best to set yourself a reasonable budget and stick to it.
You can also upgrade your Kenworth semi-truck gradually. For example, you install one part in the first month, make weight reduction in the second money, install another part in the third month, etc.
It would help if you also kept in mind that the laws differ from state to state. If you’re altering parts on your Kenworth semi-truck, it may not be road legal anymore.
This means that you won’t legally be allowed to drive it around anywhere other than a racetrack or on your private property.
You must also remember that if your semi-truck has been tuned to go faster, it doesn’t necessarily mean that it will handle better.
Semi-trucks are still extremely heavy, which means that they still struggle with cornering. However, you can improve the handling by fitting slick tires and reducing the weight.
What Tuning is Done on a Kenworth to Make it go Faster?
You have when it comes to making your semi-truck go faster. Some of these will give your semi-truck more speed than others.
The first option you have is to remove the electronic limiter. Most semi-trucks are governed, which prevents them from surpassing a certain speed.
You can also reduce the weight of your semi-truck to make it faster. The main thing you can do is to remove heavy parts such as extra seats and cabin comforts.
Furthermore, you can begin to replace parts with lighter versions—for example, engine components, exhaust, bumpers, doors, and more.
Finding lightweight parts for semi-trucks can be difficult. However, there will be workshops that have them available as they might be popular.
Another option is to tune the engine to maximize its performance. A few different options are pretty complex, so it’s best to consult an engine specialist.
One of the engine tuning techniques is to make the engine run richer. This means that the air to fuel mixture is changed. An engine running rich will have more fuel than air in the combustion chamber, which means more fuel is being burnt, and the engine is working harder.
An engine running leaner will have more air than fuel in the combustion chamber, which will burn fuel slower and save more fuel.
You can also make your semi-truck go faster by installing superchargers or turbos on it. These will help the engine to take in more air and burn fuel more quickly.
Finally, you can also add aerodynamic parts to the semi-truck to allow the airflow to run more smoothly along with it and reduce drag.
Are Kenworth Used in Semi Truck Racing?
Kenworth semi-trucks are often used in semi-truck racing. They are a popular option as they are easy to customize.
They are also popular in semi-truck racing because of their excellent build quality and reliability, essential in the sport.
Most racing semi-trucks have significantly reduced their weight and have had their engines tuned to put out at least 1000 horsepower. Some can produce up to 1500 horsepower.
What’s the Most Popular Kenworth Model Used in Racing?
All Kenworth models that are used in semi-truck racing are customized. In the majority of cases, they do not come close to their factory standard.
One of the most popular models is the W990. This model is already as powerful and fast as a stock model, so upgrading it is relatively easy.
It’s also a new model with a lot of new technology that can help with semi-truck racing.
The W900L has also been a surprisingly popular option for semi-truck racing. However, it is mostly used in drag racing.
The truth is that any model of Kenworth can be used as a racing semi-truck if you customize it correctly.
How Fast do Kenworth Race Trucks go?
One example of a 1999 Kenworth W900L can run the drag strip faster than a Ford Ranger Raptor.
This Kenworth W900L has been customized to put out 1800 horsepower, and it weighs around 22,600 pounds.
The Kenworth has run the quarter-mile in 18.01 seconds with a trap speed of 86.23 mph. If you were to keep accelerating, the semi-truck would quickly surpass 120 miles per hour.
Kenworth trucks used to race on racetracks do not focus on top speeds and acceleration as much. Handling is a more critical element to becoming the fastest on a racetrack.
