Mobile machines, especially excavators, still consume considerable amounts of fuel during their operating lifetimes. This is not only undesirable in economic terms but also adversely affects our environment. The following paper discusses methods to lower fuel consumption by conducting a comprehensive analysis of the components comprising a hydraulic excavator and the cycles these machines perform. One of the main aims is to emphasise that a design centred on the standard definitions of efficiency, especially hydraulic efficiency, can be rather misleading. A new approach using a novel fuel consumption model, based on the Willans approximation, coupled with the concepts of fixed and variable fuel consumption is introduced and validated using real test data obtained from an 18 t excavator. The new methodology can be used to help uncover simpler methods to improve today's machines.

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