Why CNG is a good alternative for people considering hybrids and EVs

I have an SX4 with a retrofitted CNG kit and I carry 2 big trolleys, 1 small trolley and a few soft luggage without an issue.

BHPian moto_rrevver recently shared this with other enthusiasts.

First of all, no hate for people who voted "No" for CNG vehicles in 2024. Presumably, most of them have never used a CNG vehicle in their day-to-day life. Many mentioned the benefits of a hybrid or EV over CNG, and I agree, that all the points mentioned completely make sense. The major differentiator is the initial cost and cost of running. Let me elaborate on the mindset of people buying CNG instead of hybrid or EV. I will not talk about the commercial applications of CNG vehicles.

Initial Cost

1. Cost of cheapest EV available in the market: ₹8.5 lakh on road, Tiago EV Medium Range variant.
2. Cost of cheapest CNG vehicle: ₹6.5 lakh on road, Alto K10 CNG.
3. CNG vehicles one should consider: Punch and Altroz, because of their boot space. People who are afraid of Tata's unreliability can go for the new Hyundai Exter with the same dual-cylinder tech.

People who consider CNG

Let's consider a person whose office is 15 to 20 km from their place, and their hometown is 200 to 500 km from their workplace, or they go on occasional road trips. This person can't consider an electric vehicle like the Tiago medium range, they have to invest in a car with a considerably larger battery pack, and hence the initial cost will also increase drastically. The same goes for hybrids currently present in India. Maybe after Maruti launches its new Swift hybrid, things might change.

Boot issue

The boot space issue is 70% solved now, with a few cars offering the dual-cylinder tech. I believe that is the only major issue in considering a CNG car, which needs some more design changes to accommodate more boot space. All CNG cars should have this so that people can choose according to their needs and requirements. If you have a petrol sedan you can retrofit a CNG kit and still you will be left with a huge boot space, I have an SX4 with a retrofitted CNG kit, and I carry 2 big trolleys, 1 small trolley and a few soft luggage in my boot without an issue.

ROI

You will have to drive a considerable number of kilometres to justify the extra cost paid for EVs or hybrids. In a CNG vehicle, the ROI is faster.

Let's sum it up in one line:

People considering buying a vehicle with low running costs, who can't afford a hybrid and don't want the range anxiety of an EV due to long highway runs, can consider CNG vehicles with dual-cylinder tech. Alternatively, if their car is out of warranty and has an NA engine, they can consider retrofitting their car with a good CNG sequential kit from a reputed dealer, provided the CNG station network is good in your state.

My Experience

I am lucky to have a pre-owned 2008 SX4, which I converted to CNG when the odometer was at 78,000. Now it has done over 1 lakh kilometres and is still going strong with a little bit of care. I have done multiple Pune -> Goa -> Pune runs with friends and family, and never faced a boot space issue (will attach the image of my boot here). If you plan your trip well enough, you will not have to wait in queues for CNG, as the number of CNG pumps has increased drastically in the last four years.

I think CNG is a great bargain between the high running cost of petrol cars and the high initial cost of EVs and hybrid vehicles.

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