[Prashant_BHP]

Voted No. As mentioned in the thread, for city runs, EV's make more sense than CNG. With increasing charging infra and more adoption, EV's will address the range anxiety. For a new investment with time horizon of keeping the car for 7+ years, an EV makes more sense today.

[kapilsharma80]

Voted No, simply due to the dearth of CNG filling stations and the long waiting queues.

[GeeTee TSI]

How severe is the drop in power (performance) in a CNG car? The CNG pumps are also so far and few in between, the kind of queues that I see atleast in Bangalore are serpentine!
While I voted 'No' , I am not sure between a CNG hatchback and an EV one as a second city runabout, especially on the overall economics.

[RRM]

No. Will always opt for a hybrid option!

[F150]

Originally Posted by kapilsharma80

Voted No, simply due to the dearth of CNG filling stations and the long waiting queues.

Exactly, cant imagine myself queueing up for filling CNG competing with cabs and autorickshaws. Drop in power is another significant drawback.

[Ravi Parwan]

Yes, There are still a couple of reasons for buying a CNG car in 2024.

Economical : It is still economical compared to petrol. When we start calculating payback period and all, it might not make sense for low mileage and might take a couple of years. But when we go to the pump and get the per km cost, the mental satisfaction still makes you feel good everytime you fill up.

Convenience : CNG will never be as convenient to fill up as petrol, period. Having said that, the wait time for CNG is down to 10-15 min at most. Especially in Delhi, if you find long queues on one pump, you can always drive to the next pump on petrol. That is not an option for an EV.

Logistical constraints : One of the biggest draws for EV over petrol/ CNG/ Diesel is home charging. However, if you do not get an option for EV charging at home, then the economics of an EV work out more expensive than CNG. And that, in a nutshell is one of the prime reasons for preferring a CNG vehicle in 2024.

[Geo_Ipe]

Voted Yes - only if I run a commercial business though, like cabs, delivery vans etc. Or, if I have a high daily running, especially with diesels being phased out of late.

For my current personal use, I would rather opt for an internal combustion engine. Probably an EV 8-10 years down the lane.

In the meanwhile, Bajaj is planning on launching India's first CNG motorcycle - so CNG is not dead for sure!
https://www.team-bhp.com/forum/motor...ml#post5765472

[rkv_2401]

No, not for personal usage. I think EVs are far more cost-effective for city/daily runs (I've seen a post on this forum tout a Re. 1/km figure) and offer similar cost-effective range and the ability to recharge at home instead of waiting at pumps, with the only compromise being that you can't just switch to petrol when you're out of charge. This figure is low enough that you can take another car for highway runs, and even if that car is inefficient, still spend less on fuel overall.

For highway running, a good diesel such as the Tata Altroz (refer source) driven efficiently will be close enough to the Rs.4/km mark that the difference is negligible and will be made up for by the higher maintenance costs of the CNG + searching for CNG pumps on the highway every 200kms. No CNG car running on the highways will run purely on CNG and at some point owners will switch to petrol, which will bump the cost of the CNG car up to around Rs.4/km.

Of course, this is for those of us who can afford an EV + second car for the highways. Even then, if low fuel cost were a priority of mine (which it isn't - I own a Vento TSi which provides <8 kmpl in the city ), I would just get a diesel or strong hybrid and turn the AC off at signals.

(Source: T-BHPian PrasannaDhana has achieved a long term fuel cost of Rs.5.28/km, even with enthusiastic and high-speed driving - https://www.team-bhp.com/forum/test-...ml#post5651103)

[TB16]

I've been driving my cars on CNG since 2009. At that time CNG used to cost around Rs 18/kg and petrol was around Rs. 45/L. Now the delta has reduced significantly. But still today CNG running costs are almost 60% less than petrol for me. So I'll continue using it till it's economically viable.

[DocMaHi]

I'd vote for NO, for my use case I need the boot space that gets occupied with CNG tank also driving my current petrol car has gotten so depressing lately with the power on offer which although is adequate for single occupant but not with all four seats occupied with little luggage in boot, constant dancing between pedals and gears throughout city traffic, no opportunities for spirited driving being the most sad part, trading my mental peace and ease of commute for mileage isn't something I would want to live with. I have been searching for cars for the past 6 months and I have been unable to find one with least compromise that has added to further stress. I tried using public transport and cabs but that's another hassle altogether and much more physically taxing.

[youknowitbetter]

I voted yes.

Here are the primary reasons why:

Electric vehicles (EVs) have gained prominence in recent years, but before that, CNG was technically the only viable alternative fuel option. CNG has proven its reliability and efficiency as an alternate fuel, despite the stigma attached to CNG cars. My family used CNG cars in the past and found them satisfactory. Even Mercedes had at 1 point launched a CNG car, I am not sure, if it still sells a CNG version of any of its cars.

One of the advantages of CNG is that you can convert an existing or old car in your garage. We did exactly that with an old car, using it for 4-5 years after conversion. While the car did require some maintenance, it was manageable. We used CNG cars in Delhi between 2007 and 2012, during a time when the infrastructure wasn't as developed as it is today, especially in Haryana and Uttar Pradesh.

CNG is not only better for the environment but also offers lower running costs.

Unfortunately, CNG does not seem to be a priority for governments, both at the central and state levels. Mr. Gadkari while promoting flex fuels, should also try and give weightage to CNG.

Heavy taxes have made CNG less attractive compared to petrol or diesel cars.While I understand the government's rationale, which may include a reluctance to subsidize vehicle operations, there should be incentives for people to convert to CNG. Environmental benefits alone may not be sufficient motivation for everyone to make the switch. One simple solution could be offering a reduced rate for the first few kilograms of CNG used each month, with regular rates applying thereafter (similar to residential electricity billing). Another option should be CNG cars should be allowed to run longer than just petrol cars in Delhi NCR by the Green Tribubal. These are just one off ideas, and there could be numerous other options worth exploring.

[extramile]

For personal usage, NO. Reasons being loss of boot space, compromised driving feel in terms of low pickup and need for more frequent gear changes, sparse CNG filling stations (especially in southern part of India) and safety issues when there is a rear collision. For high running, I prefer hybrids over CNG powered cars for personal use.

[knightfurry]

Voted NO. We recently got a CNG carry in Pune and refuling has been a an absolute pain. Long queses, very limited availability in the outskirts is very disappointing.

[TORQUEINDUCTION]

Originally Posted by F150

Exactly, cant imagine myself queueing up for filling CNG competing with cabs and autorickshaws. Drop in power is another significant drawback.

No, for exactly the same reason. While travelling on highways, I have often seen long queues for filling CNG. My cousin owns CNG I10, and I have waited for 20-25 mins for filling on several occasions. Also, never driven any CNG car, but being used to diesel cars, just cannot compromise on the torque and power of the car.

[The Pianist]

What you save in fuel, you loose in driving pleasure.

I would rather pay more and enjoy the diesels if the running is more. A respectable resale too when the time comes to part with the vehicles. Add to that lesser lines at the pumps too.