CNG cars have been on the Indian markets for a very long time. What started for a commercial purpose has slowly entered into private usage as well. At first, when CNG kits were not abundant, people would use LPG cylinders to power their vehicles. The government banned these kinds of conversions and formally introduced CNG in India. Today, many manufacturers are offering CNG variants of their cars, what’s our take on this?
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Why CNG came into the picture?
At first, CNG was somewhat restricted to commercial vehicles only. This did not include taxis, which primarily ran on diesel. The first time CNG became popular was when Maruti offered it on the Omni and literally all school vans ran on CNG after that. Then the system became popular with local cabs, and after a few years, it started gaining popularity in the private markets. The main reason behind this was the price of petrol. Driving a petrol car when the fuel costs more than Rs. 100/L was getting too expensive for daily drivers. Therefore, people started buying CNG cars for personal use as well. 
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Myths and stigmas about CNG
Believe it or not, using a CNG vehicle was kind of looked down upon, and it still is at times. In a world where people believe in big brands and expensive things, trying to be cost-effective is not an easy task. Apart from the social stigma, people also think that CNG kits result in a foul smell in the car. Moreover, people are also under the impression that the cylinder will definitely blast. Both of these things are highly improbable and are extreme worst-case scenarios.
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What do we think of CNG cars?
Well, we definitely believe that CNG is an excellent alternative to petrol cars. They’re much more pocket friendly, and they don’t really need any extra maintenance. Cars like the Tiago CNG, Swift CNG, and WagonR CNG, amongst others, have been selling in good numbers. This shows that people do want to save money. CNG has the potential of being the bridge between ICE cars and electric cars. Yes, hybris cars can also do this but they’re not as affordable as CNGs. Also, they’re much much better for the environment than ICE, so please consider a CNG alternative.
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Current scenario
As of today, most brands are planning on launching CNG variants for premium cars as well. This includes vehicles like the Tata Alrtoz, Maruti Baleno, Kia Carens, Tata Punch, and more. As the generation of car buyers changes, people are more open to buying CNG vehicles. As a matter of fact, CNG car sales grew by 97% during April – September 2021! While Maruti currently dominates the CNG market, players like Tata and Hyundai are also coming up with CNG products. In the future, more manufacturers are expected to enter this market, especially between the Rs. 8-15 Lakhs range.
What do you think about mass-produced CNG vehicles? Let us know in the comments below!
