Are CNG and LPG better than gasoline and diesel?
The prices of conventional fuels such as gasoline and diesel are becoming more expensive every day. While the price of all other commodities is rising, fuel prices are also witnessing an increase and not much can be done about these perishable resources. Now even the Indian government has decided to deregulate fuel prices. Meanwhile, the search for alternative fuel resources continues. Automakers have started making plans to introduce more models with CNG and LPG variants.
India’s best-selling automaker, Maruti Suzuki, is looking to introduce a number of new cars equipped with CNG kits to the Indian car market. The automaker is believed to bring five models with dual-fuel variants. Therefore, we may soon see the arrival of Alto and WagonR in CNG versions. So while the Alto, the new WagonR and the Style will have the CNG option in the compact segment, the SX4 in the sedan segment will come with the CNG option and Eeco in the MPV category will flaunt the same.
GM, Toyota, and Hyundai are a few others that flaunt CNG and LPG options in their cars. All of these automakers plan to expand further. Experts believe that with the rise in current fuel prices, the use of alternative fuels that have lower operating costs will become stronger in the Indian auto industry.
If gasoline costs about Rs 3.44 per kilometer, it would take Rs 2.35 of diesel to travel the same distance. This is where alternative fuels have the upper hand. LPG petrol would cost Rs 2.23 to run a kilometer and just Rs 1.31 petrol-CNG would get your car the same distance.
It’s good to know that consumers are becoming less dependent on conventional fuels. As of today, dual-fuel models account for around 15-20 percent of total sales. Experts believe that the rate at which people will switch to these will soon grow faster.
As of now, General Motors offers LPG in its Chevy Spark, Optra and Aveo. Over time, the number of models running on LPG will increase. By the end of this year, GM plans to launch a Chevy Beat LPG as well.
It is also now clear that alternative fuels have great potential. Maruti Suzuki, which has thought of offering CNG variants in its various car segments, is working on a new technology, i-GPI (Intelligent Gas Port Injection), for dual fuel engines and would offer CNG as an installed option of factory.
Have you ever wondered why we don’t see CNG variants on the roads as often as petrol and diesel cars? Here is the answer. On average, a CNG car comes with a tag of Rs 45000-50000 higher than its petrol-only counterpart. On the other hand, the incremental cost of LPG is around Rs 20,000-30,000.
CNG and LPG kits can also be retrofitted on various models in the Indian car market. The Honda City, Toyota Corolla and Maruti Swift are three of those models. It has been found that the only problem with an upgraded model is that it may have warranty issues. Most car manufacturers refuse to accept them. Car manufacturers often blame damages and accidents on alterations made to the car by installing CNG and LPG kits.