The first-ever CNG-powered motorbike will be launched by Bajaj Auto today and it promises to be a capable daily commute option at a more affordable pr
…
Bajaj Auto will launch the world’s first CNG-powered motorbike today. Expected to be called Bajaj Freedom 125, the bike will make run on petrol but will have the option to switch to CNG or Compressed Natural Gas at the press of a button. While CNG-powered cars have existed for more than a decade, it is only the first time now that a CNG-powered motorcycle is coming in, not just to India but anywhere in the world.
The launch of Bajaj CNG motorcycle has the potential to open up the proverbial floodgates for such a technology to be taken to more models and has the potential to not just bring down expenses on fuel but also lower emissions. Both of these factors are crucial to the two-wheeler owner in India where several cities repeatedly make it to the list of world’s most polluted.
What does the Bajaj CNG bike have on offer and could it be a gamechanger in the Indian two-wheeler market? Catch live and latest updates from the launch of Bajaj CNG motorcycle:
Which company was the first to introduce factory-fitted CNG kits in India?
While CNG was equipped in cars from after-market centers, Maruti Suzuki was the first to recognise the potential of the alternate fuel source. By the early 2010s, India’s largest carmaker started offering models with company-fitted CNG kits. At present, Maruti offers its S-CNG technology in 18 of its car models.
Brief history of Compressed Natural Gas as automotive fuel
CNG-powered vehicles may have entered the mainstream around a decade and a half back but experiments with the fuel dates back to the World War II era. CNG was a transport fuel back during the days of World War II, primarily because there was often a shortage of petrol and diesel. Subsequently, efforts were made to make use of CNG carriers but these were commercially viable.
It is not until 1990s that CNG as an automotive fuel began to gain wider acceptance in the world. By the turn of the millennium, advancements in technology allowed CNG to enter the mainstream automotive segments in many countries. Car brands began equipping vehicles with kits in the retro-fitted category.
First Published Date: 05 Jul 2024, 10:10 AM IST