The simple ROI calculation for a plant remap
The return on investment from a plant remap is almost entirely driven by fuel savings. The calculation is straightforward:
Annual fuel saving (£) = Machine fuel consumption (litres/hour) × Saving percentage × Working hours per year × Fuel cost (£/litre)
Payback period (months) = Remap cost (£) ÷ (Annual fuel saving ÷ 12)
That is it. Once you have your machine's average fuel consumption and annual hours, the rest follows directly. The worked examples below use realistic figures from the machines we remap.
Worked example: 20-tonne excavator
Machine: Cat 320 / Komatsu PC200 / Volvo EC220 (or equivalent) Fuel consumption: 11 litres per hour (typical for medium excavator in dig-and-dump work) Saving percentage: 10% (conservative end of the 8–12% typical range) Working hours per year: 2,000 hours (approximately 200 days at 10 hours) Fuel cost: £1.10 per litre
Annual fuel saving: 11 × 0.10 × 2,000 × £1.10 = £2,420 per year
If the remap costs £500–£800 (illustrative), payback is: £650 ÷ (£2,420 ÷ 12) = 3.2 months
Year-on-year saving after payback: £2,420 per machine per year. For a machine with a working life of 5 more years, total return on the remap cost is approximately £12,000.
Worked example: 30-tonne articulated dump truck
Machine: Volvo A35 / Cat 735 / Bell B30E (or equivalent) Fuel consumption: 20 litres per hour (typical on loaded haul cycle) Saving percentage: 12% (mid-range of the 10–14% typical for ADTs) Working hours per year: 2,500 hours (high utilisation quarry machine) Fuel cost: £1.10 per litre
Annual fuel saving: 20 × 0.12 × 2,500 × £1.10 = £6,600 per machine per year
Payback at illustrative remap cost: typically less than 2 months.
This is why ADT fleet remapping is one of the most compelling financial cases in plant management. A quarry running 6 ADTs of this size saves approximately £39,600 in fuel per year from remapping alone.
Fleet ROI: the multiplier effect
The ROI calculation scales linearly with fleet size — each machine saves independently. But fleet remapping has an additional financial advantage: the per-machine cost reduces with volume as the site attendance and travel cost is shared.
A quarry running 8 Bell B30E ADTs, each saving £6,600 per year in fuel, realises a combined annual saving of £52,800. At fleet remap pricing, the total remap cost for 8 machines is a fraction of the first year's saving.
For plant hire companies, the ROI calculation is slightly different: the fuel saving per machine is captured by the plant hirer (who pays for fuel) rather than the hire company. However, the hire company benefits from improved machine performance, reduced downtime from Adblue and DPF issues addressed at the same visit, and potentially higher machine utilisation.
Other financial benefits beyond fuel saving
Fuel saving is the most quantifiable financial benefit but not the only one.
Reduced downtime from emissions system fixes: If we address Adblue or DPF faults at the same visit, the cost of prevented downtime — idle operator time, project delays, emergency repair call-outs — can equal or exceed the fuel saving in value. One day's downtime on a large excavator or ADT costs significantly more than a remap.
Extended component life: Running the engine more efficiently and at lower thermal stress than a struggling, over-fuelled engine can extend the life of fuel system components and the turbocharger.
Project time reduction: Faster cycle times from increased torque reduce project duration — harder to quantify but real.
We will model the specific ROI for your machine, duty cycle, and current fuel costs when you enquire.
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Tell us the machine, annual hours, and fuel cost — we'll model the return.
Common Questions
How accurate are the ROI projections?
The projections are based on typical fuel savings from machines we remap. Individual results vary based on machine condition, duty cycle, and operator style. We give specific projections for named machines and realistic duty cycles — not best-case marketing numbers.
Does the ROI calculation change if red diesel becomes more expensive?
Yes — every 10p increase in fuel cost per litre increases the annual fuel saving proportionally. At higher fuel prices, the payback period shortens and the long-term return increases.
Should I factor in the remap cost when budgeting a new machine purchase?
If you are planning to remap a new machine after purchase, building the remap cost into the initial budget is sensible. Some plant owners remap machines at purchase (after the warranty period) as a planned investment rather than waiting for cost pressure to prompt it.
Is the ROI better on high-utilisation or low-utilisation machines?
High-utilisation machines with more working hours per year realise the fuel saving faster — the payback period is shorter and the total return over the machine's remaining life is larger. Low-utilisation machines still benefit but the payback takes longer.
Can you provide documentation of the ROI projection for internal approval?
Yes — we can provide a written fuel saving projection for named machines based on the consumption data and duty cycle you provide. This is useful for internal business case approval for fleet remapping programmes.