[volkman10]

CNG car sales surge 96% in first-half FY2022:

In the first half of FY2022 (April-September 2021), industry data reveals that a total of 101,412 CNG cars were sold in India, which constitutes robust 97% year-on-year growth (April-September 2020: 51,448 units).

Maruti Suzuki India, with its seven models – Alto, S-Presso, Celerio, Wagon R, Dzire, Ertiga and Eeco – accounts for 82,351 units or 81% of the total 101,412 units sold in H1 FY2022.

Maruti Wagon R: India’s best-selling CNG model by far.





Link

[GrammarNazi]

Instead of promoting Ethanol, Govt should lay down the infrastructure for CNG pipelines and use this resource which is plentifully available.

From powering industry (like Toyota's Bidadi plant) to all kinds of vehicles, setting up CNG network can really save India a huge amount of foreign exchange spent on crude oil.

Exchequer is short on funds, so do it as a PPP with Indian partners. Share a handsome bit of the profit initially - bidders would flock to give it a shot. Retain the money domestically by sharing the profits in the form of 10 year non-transferable sovereign gold bonds.

We can achieve HUGE reduction in carbon emissions, not just in the unorganised market way but in an accountable way.

The WILL is missing, because a certain politician wants to monetise his stake in the Ethanol production. Let's see.

[Fx14]

Originally Posted by volkman10

CNG car sales surge 96% in first-half FY2022:

Tata is missing out totally on this market opportunity.

They exited the passenger car CNG space after the Nano CNG production was stopped and focussed on the EV space.

There were recent rumors of Tiago CNG being around the corner and dealers accepting bookings. Wonder what happened?

C'mon, speed up your launches, else like the Nano diesel you will forever test and not launch.

[INNOVATOR]

Originally Posted by GTO

Manufacturers & governments can push all they want, but at the end of the day, it is the customer who decides which technology is a success or failure. And Indian customers have given CNG a unanimous . Nothing is going to change that. The headache of filling up, limited availability of pumps, limited availability of CNG cars and compromised boot space have killed it. Imagine, this in a market obsessed with FE & low running costs. The market has moved on and so should we.

Also, do keep in mind that no "dual fuel" car has ever been a success. Some OEMs even tried EV-Petrol cars (i.e. cars that can run on both) and they bombed too. For CNG to have had a shot, it should have been the primary and only fuel in a car.

EVs (and hopefully hybrids) are the future, guys. Let's embrace them.

The governments can and have conjured up a perfect storm in some cities - Delhi, Mumbai, Pune etc where
1. Ample Availability of CNG stations ( more being added by the day)
2. High price of petrol
3. Discourage diesels (10 yr ban in NCR)
4. Little competition in EV space with sparse to non-existent charging infra
5. Proven tech with low running and maintenance costs

For a country that is obsessed with “Kitna deti hai?” a sub ₹5/km presents an unbeatable value proposition.
I don’t need to preach to the choir as I know that you are a huge proponent of lateral upgrades in lieu of investing in brand new cars and I do subscribe fully to the ideology. Bi fuel CNG in the absence of hybrid PHEV are by far the closest parallels.

Disclaimer- waiting to put up cash for a Tesla. Converted my rooftop to solar to ensure cheap electricity at home.

[Carma2017]

CNG as a fuel is not going anywhere no matter how much we wish. Auto Industry doyens in India have predicted a 30-30-30-10 scenario with Gasoline powered IC engines, CNG and EVs getting equal share of the pie along with a further 10% for miscellaneous tech like flex fuel, Hybrids etc. It is only because manufacturers in India have done a ham fisted job of integrating CNG that we have a negative perception of the same. CNG reach is increasing across the country and is here to stay. Just like Japanese OEMs in general would not touch Diesel tech, it is true most OEMs in India would not touch or invest in developing CNG tech. But in a price sensitive market like India, if a solution can provide low running cost, it would flourish.

[yatin]

Very good thread , dispels myths.

I do wonder about the future of retro-fitting, especially in bigger vehicles; turbo-charged petrols are becoming wide-spread - can they run on LPG/CNG?

Also, are there trials or even anectodal evidence of retro-fit of biogas? If Tata can make a 407 run even passably on CNG, and Scania used to do that with buses, a mini-tractor or small LCV run on biogas in rural areas sounds great in theory.

PS: I love the boot space in my petrol Platinum Etios too much, so a CNG retro-fit seems too much compared to a mild-hybrid one like Altigreen HyPixi. Add the chorus about manufacturers not being serious enough about it, and the lack of, say, an Etios (or a Sunny or a City) designed around CNG and with a HyPixi-like mild hybrid is from multiple angles.

[daspranab]

Originally Posted by Schneller

Here's why people with higher running chose diesel cars:

1. Long range on a full tank (600-1000 KMs) compared to CNG's paltry 200-300 KMs.

2. Diesel is available on every nook and cranny of the country. You can struggle to find premium petrol on highways but, not premium diesel. CNG is scarce in supply and has few stations barring some big cities.

3. Long filling queues at CNG stations, compared to fuel pumps, there are very few CNG pumps. This leads to huge queues at filling stations and usually means filling up CNG is anywhere from a 20 minute to 40 minute affair. This is not the kind of time a normal person is ready to part with. This is usually the case in New Delhi. Filling up at odd times is easier

4. Availability of CNG powered cars - CNG powered cars are synonymous with cabbies or hugely budget - conscious people. In line with this thinking, the cars available with factory fitted CNG kits are mostly on the cheaper spectrum and, that too on the lower variants. Very few people are up for the headache of getting a CNG retrofit done.



For anyone having a running above 70 KMs a day, it makes sense to buy a CNG car. My current running due to WFH/SFH is about 40-50 KMs a day. If it goes up, i might have to buy a dedicated CNG car with the current fuel costs.

The reason for writing this is to provide some insight into CNG as, a lot of people have written of CNG as a fuel and thinking the future will jump straight to electric. Increasing pollution control norms will gradually phase out diesels in small cars altogether very soon and CNG will be the choice. Even now, compared to diesel cars, CNG saves about 50%+ on running costs per KM for same model cars. The only problem i face is, the CNG variants of vehicles are increasingly towards the likes of cabbies. They are too bare bones. I wish manufacturers introduce cars with CNG on higher variants or better models. If i had to buy a CNG car today, i would go the Grand i10 Nios Sportz CNG. It is the only CNG car to offer Apple Carplay, Alloy Wheels and Automatic climate control.

Please continue this discussion in the comments, maybe some carmakers will come across this thread and get some ideas!

I am a first time buyer of car for myself, even though I acted as driver for my wife, in India. I had learnt driving in the US and drove extensively there. My first car, a Nissan Maxima, was totalled in an accident. Then I had an Infinity. However, after coming back, I found adjusting to right hand driving, in Bangalore traffic, very difficult. Currently, I'm in Hyderabad though.

Recently, I gained enough confidence to buy a car for myself. Apart from occasional city drives of <30 km, I plan to tour India on wheels. Due to rising fuel prices, I thought of buying a bi fuel car. My idea is to hold it for short or medium term. My budget is 9 - 10 lac.

Another option that I considered is following. Due to my planned nature of use, BS 6 diesel could be ticked off. Even though BS 4 diesel (used) could be an option. In fact, I had almost settled for a Ford Freestyle (diesel), before realising, mostly from this forum, that such car could be problematic due to my usage pattern. However, this opens up the vistas of a used BS 4 diesel, which does not have Diesel Particulate Filter.

Among bi fuel cars, existing ones are a few options from Maruti, of which, Ertiga VXI and WagonR are two of the more preferred ones, in my opinion. However, we may travel mostly as a couple (husband, wife). Hence, maybe Ertiga would be unnecessary, even as it is supposedly the better of the two.

Another option is Hyundai Aura S CNG. There are mixed reviews of the car, mostly in the social media. How safe it would be and what the running cost would be are not very reliably stated.

The last bi fuel option, currently available, would be to buy a safe car like Tigor or Nexon and convert it to bi fuel once the warranty period is over (for a new car) or outright (for a used car). With a used car, the current prices seems unreasonably high.

It might be outlier data point but somehow I started thinking about used Tata Hexa as a remotely possible option, even if it is way bigger for our requirement. Incidentally, Hexa prices seem somewhat lower. But drivability in and around Hitech City, Hyderabad, is a question. Also, how to find a reasonably priced car from a reliable source? Thirdly, what will be maintenance cost or difficulty? Lastly, what the fuel economy (kilometres per litre) would be?

Given my experience in driving petrol auto boxes and my planned usage, what would be my best option? I want to add that my test drive with stick version of diesel freestyle was very satisfying. Moreover, if it's a Hexa, it could be a torque converter, which is an added advantage.

Also, there are threads that discuss upcoming bi fuel cars (in very short or short term), flex fuel cars (in medium to long term), and plugin hybrid cars, another form of bi fuel cars (in long term). Is it wise to shelf my immediate plan for one of these options to materialize?

[jetsetgo08]

Originally Posted by daspranab

Also, there are threads that discuss upcoming bi fuel cars (in very short or short term), flex fuel cars (in medium to long term), and plugin hybrid cars, another form of bi fuel cars (in long term). Is it wise to shelf my immediate plan for one of these options to materialize?

There is a speculation that Brezza, S-Cross may be equipped with CNG. These may tick most of your requirements. In case the usage is limited to short drives in the city, BS-6 diesel are best avoided.

EV's cannot replace the primary car anytime soon. And for a coal dependent country like India, full fledged usage of an EV is a good 4-5 years away.

[WhiteSierra]

Originally Posted by daspranab

Among bi fuel cars, existing ones are a few options from Maruti, of which, Ertiga VXI and WagonR are two of the more preferred ones, in my opinion. However, we may travel mostly as a couple (husband, wife). Hence, maybe Ertiga would be unnecessary, even as it is supposedly the better of the two.


Given my experience in driving petrol auto boxes and my planned usage, what would be my best option? I want to add that my test drive with stick version of diesel freestyle was very satisfying. Moreover, if it's a Hexa, it could be a torque converter, which is an added advantage.

Also, there are threads that discuss upcoming bi fuel cars (in very short or short term), flex fuel cars (in medium to long term), and plugin hybrid cars, another form of bi fuel cars (in long term). Is it wise to shelf my immediate plan for one of these options to materialize?

Based on your usage pattern, you should consider pre-owned Wagon R CNG (2011-2018 models) or even the latest generation Wagon R CNG (which comes with standard airbags). Since it would be only two of you who would be travelling, both can occupy front seats and luggage can go to rear seats while the boot is occupied with a CNG cylinder. Wagon R is a practical car, manual one is also very easy to drive, spacious inside and inexpensive to maintain. We own one, bought it pre-owned as a city beater car, but still took it to highways. If you have to accommodate more people in your car like parents, in-laws, etc., you should consider the Ertiga CNG.

[daspranab]

Originally Posted by Shreyans_Jain

As an ex CNG user (I used it for over 1.5L km), the biggest bummers are the loss of boot space and the limited range. The combination of these two, legitimised by Maruti’s jugaad implement of CNG, limits these cars to urban use. This is the crux of the problem and here, the ultra low costs and overnight home charging abilities of EVs appeal more.

It is eye opening to see how well European brands have implemented their CNG solutions. Our CNG cars can only take 7-9kg gas at a time. If they can be designed to accommodate 15-18kg without ruining the boot, like the VW design, the fuel instantly becomes infinitely more desirable. You are looking at a 400km+ gas only range, along with the small petrol engine for backup. Isn’t that exactly what we potential EV customers have always dreamed about as an ideal spec?

I am pretty much subscribed to your view. IMO, only real hybrid cars, which can run on either electricity or gas/oil is practical. However, manufacturers are maybe making the engine unnecessarily complicated. IMO, they should have only an inner ice and electric motors attached to the wheels (either all or three, any two, or even one) through direct drive, thereby doing away with with all mechanical couplings, differential, etc. All drives can be electrical and controls electronic. The ice will only act as electrical generator.

My wife is a strong believer of this idea and convinced me that it may be the future of vehicles. Will request comment from the respected BHPians. Thanks in advance.

[ksakotai]

This thread becomes all the more relevant in view of the current geo-political events induced rising fuel prices - and it seems we are NOT going to see the situation abate any time soon. I think OMCs are now going all out to open CNG filling stations all over the country. I dont have hard data but I would think it is a no brainer discussion in CXO levels in these companies.

EVs still have some time to go before they become mainstream. I think we are in the "Early Adopter" phase, with battery capacity, charging infrastructure being the current bottlenecks.

I too am veering towards CNG seriously. My goal is to get a "stop gap" used CNG for 1-2 years and then hopefully, when EV becomes more viable switch.

My question though is, for long distance travel, is a factory fitted CNG option workable?

TIA

[condor]

GAIL is setting up a CNG bunk at this place on Kanakapura Road, Bangalore. Setup looks close to completion - I guess it should be operational by Ugadi (first week of April).

https://goo.gl/maps/deVdsXx6S8tRGdV4A

Havent checked the status of the CNG availability at the IOCL bunk at Banashankari recently.

[volkman10]

Maruti Suzuki logs record sales of 2.3lakh CNG cars in FY22; has backlog of 1.2 lakh bookings.

CNG cars contributed 17% to the total sales and 33% to the sales of the models with CNG variants. Maruti Suzuki has 9 out of 15 models with CNG options.

According to MSIL CNG’s contribution to the overall industry sales is about 8.5%.

Link

[Nissan1180]

CNG is not at almost Rs. 80 per kg. This eliminates the cost advantage of the fuel almost entirely. The worst affected would be the public transport drivers and owners. It costs Rs. 6 to run a cng car for 1 km if you include the added maintenance.

[sairamboko]

I am in a situation where I am evaluating CNG or EV cars. EV so far has been ruled out because of the high cost of the car available. My usage is around 1200 kms / month. With the current petrol prices, my tigor costs almost close to 9 to 10k INR for fuel alone! Even CNG prices are rising, but I still feel i can cut down the running costs with a CNG car. Is it still wise to get a CNG car in the current scenario?