[MKRAFT]

CNG cannot be transported like LPG ..it needs high pressure to store and so the gauge of the metal used for the tanks has to be thick ..it may be cheaper but its not easily available throughout the country.
Morever,the initial investment is about 50 % more as compared to LPG kits .

A 50 liter LPG tank can contain 40 liters LPG (80%) and can easily fit into the boot of a small car ,but for CNG an equally sized tank can hold only 10-12 liters.Due to this its more suited for bigger vehicles

IOC,BPCL ,HP and reliance ...all have LPG filling stations in almost all major cities.

[mithun]

What happens to 0-100 timings?

There will not be any noticeable drop in 0-100 timings.

Is power delivery acceptable at low RPM?

Although it may not be in the same league in the case of petrol, but good enough for our helter-skelter cities.

Are there any tuners/boosters/safe additives for enhancing performance?

Not in the case of LPG/CNG !!!

How available are these fuels across India? What are the future plans?

New fuel stations are popping day-by-day. And that's we are discussing in this thread !!!

What's the FE-cost equation?

Do a search here.

What are the maintenance issues - freqent gearshifts, engine overloading? Safety issues, CNG vis-a-vis LPG?

Do a search here.

Resale?

Not a big problem if you've used nice quality kits.

How do the insurance guys view all these developments?

Gas kits can be included in the insurance without any hassles, if it is RTO endorsed.

[Boom Shiva]

Originally Posted by GTO

Incorrect. Extensive research has shown that CNG burns much cleaner, and actually leads to less engine wear. Am providing just one link, but a search on google will take you to plentiful more reliable sources : Energy.Gov link

Incorrect.

http://cng-lpg-conversion.com/Why-CNG-LPG.asp

Check the table for maintenance costs. It says CNG causes 30% increase in maintenance vs LPG which reduces maintencance costs by 5%.

http://www.automonitor.co.in/col_dis...ch.asp?code=43

"A comparative study of the two gas-based fuels vis-à-vis diesel and petrol shows that LPG gains over CNG on several counts. The impact on greenhouse emissions is considerably less than other fossil fuels when measured through the total fuel cycle. Moreover, for the same volume, LPG requires a tank that is one-third the size of a CNG tank. “LPG is a clean burning, high octane, environment friendly fuel. It generates no smoke or fumes and emits extremely low levels of Carbon Monoxide, Hydrocarbons and Nitrogen Oxides. It emits virtually no sulphur oxides and no particulate matter,” a highly placed source in the industry said.

Vehicles that run on CNG experience a reduction in engine power by up to 20 percent, primarily due to gas carburettors. On the other hand, LPG can be used in a way similar to diesel, with liquid sequential multi point fuel injection (MPFI), say experts. In a normal CNG tank, with the reduction of quantity, engine power comes down significantly. So, to maintain engine power at optimum levels, pressure-creating systems are installed, which leads to the increase in conversion cost."


http://www.indiacar.com/index2.asp?p...ank/lpgcng.htm

"LPG is acknowledged all over the world as an alternate fuel for Automobiles superior to conventional Gasoline/CNG."

[rohitbagai]

Look at price tag please!!! Only 2 cars come with LPG...Omni and WagonR...Why?? Because the target customers are highly price sensitive. What will CNG WagonR cost? 4.25 Lakhs!! the customers will run away as they will have more options to choose from. Also Maruti is aggressively perusing Rural Market where LPG is (or may be "Will be") available.
PS: Dont go into technicals as we have already discussed it many times in other threads. Lets discuss WHY do some Companies choose CNG and others LPG

[mithun]

See this link to know which is the best drive? CNG or LPG

http://in.rediff.com/money/2006/aug/19auto.htm

[wolfinstein]

@ boom, That site is has inaccurate DATA, suggest you visit Bedini,Landi Renzo or Nugas Websites along with Nugas group run by guys in Thailand,Singapore,Malayasia.

CNG is the most abundant source of fuel available on earth as of now, It is simply Methane Gas. LPG is artifically created and was initially considerd a waste and burned off at refinery..! LPG prices are influenced by Petrol, Since it is created by the same crude oil.

Most manufactures across the globe promote CNG over LPG, For its availability,Economy and Lower emission.

CNG network in India is growing-GAIL,IGL and all are investing crores into CNG. The reason why I feel the Auto company are slow in adopting CNG is that Petrol Consumption will go way down and Oil Companies influence the Manufacturer + Since CNG is a cleaner fuel and enables the Oil to stick on the engine and piston during startups and running, will eventually lead to a lower spares usage. TATA,GM,Hyundai,HM-Mitsubishi,Ford are all moving in the right future...Save for Maruti, which will remain the only odd one out in the Alternate Fuel War.

Maruti's Omni Cargo was intially CNG, But they had some major issues so they went to LPG mode and This is the same now for Wagon R.

Currently-Delhi,Mumbai,Agra,Some Cities in Gujrat are on CNG..Not sure of some more cities.

In Delhi, Auto Gas LPG pumps are hardly 10 or less, compared with CNG stations numbering 30 + all over town, Since CNG was made madatory for All Public Transports in Delhi...You'll find a Pump almost everywhere..3 Pumps in Noida and 2 in Gurgaon. So NCR is fairly covered...this is growing network.

CNG has made the Air in delhi much much better compared with Diesal and Petrol times earlier and stricter emmision norms are improving things.

CNG also qualifies for Tax Concessions in many EU nations. ( I read this on some CNG-LPG site)

Current Rate is CNG-Rs.19.20 / Per Kg, LPG-Rs.27.8+-/Per Ltr.