A Comprehensive Overview of the Development and Research of Energy Savings of Electric Wheel Loader

Electric wheel loaders (EWLs) have emerged as a pivotal innovation in the 2020s, representing a transformative shift toward high-efficiency, low-emission construction machinery. Despite their growing technological and environmental significance, a systematic synthesis of advancements in EWL design,...

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Main Authors: Xiaotao Fei, Zuo Cheng, Shaw Voon Wong, Muhammad Amin Azman, Dawei Wang, Xiuxian Zhang, Qiuchen Shao, Qingqiu Lin
Format: Article
Language:English
Published: MDPI AG 2025-03-01
Series:World Electric Vehicle Journal
Subjects:
Online Access:https://www.mdpi.com/2032-6653/16/3/164
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author Xiaotao Fei
Zuo Cheng
Shaw Voon Wong
Muhammad Amin Azman
Dawei Wang
Xiuxian Zhang
Qiuchen Shao
Qingqiu Lin
author_facet Xiaotao Fei
Zuo Cheng
Shaw Voon Wong
Muhammad Amin Azman
Dawei Wang
Xiuxian Zhang
Qiuchen Shao
Qingqiu Lin
author_sort Xiaotao Fei
collection DOAJ
description Electric wheel loaders (EWLs) have emerged as a pivotal innovation in the 2020s, representing a transformative shift toward high-efficiency, low-emission construction machinery. Despite their growing technological and environmental significance, a systematic synthesis of advancements in EWL design, energy optimization, and intelligent control remains absent in the literature. To bridge this gap, this review critically evaluates over 140 studies for comparative analysis. Building on the authors’ ongoing research, this paper categorizes EWL architectures and examines breakthroughs in hydraulic systems, drivetrain configurations, and bucket dynamics optimization. A dedicated focus is placed on energy-saving strategies, including advancements in battery technology, fast-charging infrastructure, intelligent torque distribution, and data-driven modeling of shoveling and operational resistance. The analysis reveals that integrating optimal control strategies with machine learning algorithms—such as model predictive control (MPC)—is a critical pathway to achieving energy-efficient and assisted driving in next-generation EWLs. Furthermore, this review advocates for the adoption of distributed electro-hydraulic drive systems to minimize hydraulic losses and enable efficient energy recovery during actuator control. By synthesizing these insights, this work not only highlights current technological frontiers but also proposes actionable research directions to accelerate the commercialization of intelligent, sustainable EWLs.
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issn 2032-6653
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publishDate 2025-03-01
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series World Electric Vehicle Journal
spelling doaj-art-ab821364915341a0b3cfc3fc4aca9ecb2025-08-20T02:43:05ZengMDPI AGWorld Electric Vehicle Journal2032-66532025-03-0116316410.3390/wevj16030164A Comprehensive Overview of the Development and Research of Energy Savings of Electric Wheel LoaderXiaotao Fei0Zuo Cheng1Shaw Voon Wong2Muhammad Amin Azman3Dawei Wang4Xiuxian Zhang5Qiuchen Shao6Qingqiu Lin7Department of Automobile Engineering, Jiangsu Vocational College of Electronics and Information, Huai’an 223003, ChinaDepartment of Automobile Engineering, Jiangsu Vocational College of Electronics and Information, Huai’an 223003, ChinaDepartment of Mechanical & Manufacturing, Faculty of Engineering, Universiti Putra Malaysia, Serdang 43400, MalaysiaDepartment of Mechanical & Manufacturing, Faculty of Engineering, Universiti Putra Malaysia, Serdang 43400, MalaysiaDepartment of Automobile Engineering, Jiangsu Vocational College of Electronics and Information, Huai’an 223003, ChinaDepartment of Automobile Engineering, Jiangsu Vocational College of Electronics and Information, Huai’an 223003, ChinaDepartment of Automobile Engineering, Jiangsu Vocational College of Electronics and Information, Huai’an 223003, ChinaDepartment of Automobile Engineering, Jiangsu Vocational College of Electronics and Information, Huai’an 223003, ChinaElectric wheel loaders (EWLs) have emerged as a pivotal innovation in the 2020s, representing a transformative shift toward high-efficiency, low-emission construction machinery. Despite their growing technological and environmental significance, a systematic synthesis of advancements in EWL design, energy optimization, and intelligent control remains absent in the literature. To bridge this gap, this review critically evaluates over 140 studies for comparative analysis. Building on the authors’ ongoing research, this paper categorizes EWL architectures and examines breakthroughs in hydraulic systems, drivetrain configurations, and bucket dynamics optimization. A dedicated focus is placed on energy-saving strategies, including advancements in battery technology, fast-charging infrastructure, intelligent torque distribution, and data-driven modeling of shoveling and operational resistance. The analysis reveals that integrating optimal control strategies with machine learning algorithms—such as model predictive control (MPC)—is a critical pathway to achieving energy-efficient and assisted driving in next-generation EWLs. Furthermore, this review advocates for the adoption of distributed electro-hydraulic drive systems to minimize hydraulic losses and enable efficient energy recovery during actuator control. By synthesizing these insights, this work not only highlights current technological frontiers but also proposes actionable research directions to accelerate the commercialization of intelligent, sustainable EWLs.https://www.mdpi.com/2032-6653/16/3/164EWLhydraulic systemdistributed driveenergy savingassisted driving
spellingShingle Xiaotao Fei
Zuo Cheng
Shaw Voon Wong
Muhammad Amin Azman
Dawei Wang
Xiuxian Zhang
Qiuchen Shao
Qingqiu Lin
A Comprehensive Overview of the Development and Research of Energy Savings of Electric Wheel Loader
World Electric Vehicle Journal
EWL
hydraulic system
distributed drive
energy saving
assisted driving
title A Comprehensive Overview of the Development and Research of Energy Savings of Electric Wheel Loader
title_full A Comprehensive Overview of the Development and Research of Energy Savings of Electric Wheel Loader
title_fullStr A Comprehensive Overview of the Development and Research of Energy Savings of Electric Wheel Loader
title_full_unstemmed A Comprehensive Overview of the Development and Research of Energy Savings of Electric Wheel Loader
title_short A Comprehensive Overview of the Development and Research of Energy Savings of Electric Wheel Loader
title_sort comprehensive overview of the development and research of energy savings of electric wheel loader
topic EWL
hydraulic system
distributed drive
energy saving
assisted driving
url https://www.mdpi.com/2032-6653/16/3/164
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