With the sudden price surges for petrol and diesel over recent years, it has come to a point where alternative fuel or green mobility is often preferred among the masses. Since EVs are quite expensive, the adoption of CNG cars seems like the more viable option, especially for individuals who want to save on fuel costs. However, while CNG cars have been around for a while, there still exist many questions in buyers’ minds. What are the cost economics? What’s the availability of CNG across the country? What model variants are available with CNG? What are the limitations in terms of practicality particularly with the lack of boot space? Questions also exist around green credentials. And so we asked you, dear reader, on social media, for your queries on CNG cars and put together this FAQ. Let’s bust some myths.
The average running cost of CNG-powered cars is Rs 2.5 per kilometre. Which compares very favourably with the average of Rs 6 per kilometre that a similarly sized petrol car costs to run. That means a saving of Rs 4 per kilometre, making a CNG car the more cost-effective proposition in the long run. As for the price of CNG it has been fluctuating for quite a while and costs between Rs 73 and Rs 90 per kg in different cities of India.
In terms of purchase cost, CNG cars cost an average of Rs 1 lakh more and considering the difference in running costs you will recover your initial investment in 25,000km. And there are no differences in service costs of CNG cars when compared to petrol cars. In fact cars like the upcoming Altroz iCNG offers the same 3 years and 100,000km warranty as the petrol-run version.
CNG cars have to store CNG somewhere and that somewhere has usually been in the boot. Particularly in a hatchback that means the entire boot is eaten up and you have no space left for luggage. That is being addressed in newer CNG cars like the upcoming Altroz iCNG that was showcased at the Auto Expo and gets two transversely mounted CNG cylinders instead of a big one – and that leaves you with over 200 litres of boot space.
Compared to petrol cars, CNG-run cars take a similar amount of time to fill up the tank. When we tested the Tiago iCNG we took the same amount of time to tank up as any petrol car would have taken. Also, unlike other CNG cars which need to be filled up by opening the bonnet, the Tiago iCNG and Altroz iCNG allow you to top-up by just opening the fuel filler lid. We should also point out there are over 5,000 CNG pumps across India and this is rapidly increasing since the government is actively pushing CNG adoption.
On average, CNG mode reduces the power output of a car by up to 15 per cent compared to petrol. While testing the Tiago iCNG, the performance dip was not noticeable at least in lower revs. Tata Motors also uses a single ECU ensuring the switch from petrol to CNG and vice-versa is seamless, eliminating the sudden drop in power and unwanted jerks while switching fuel modes. In terms of refinement too there’s no difference between running the same engine on petrol or CNG.
In terms of range the Altroz iCNG sports two 30-litre CNG tanks, which translates to 9kg of CNG. For reference, the Tiago iCNG offers about 27km per kg of CNG. So if you do the math, the Tiago will offer approximately 250km of driving range on CNG and the same should apply to the Altroz as well.
Most CNG cars require to start in petrol and then switch over to CNG while on the go, and that results in an immediate difference in the drivability. Not to mention the added running costs if you forget to switch over to CNG. However in cars such as the Tiago iCNG, Tigor iCNG, and Altroz iCNG, Tata Motors has resolved this inconvenience and allows drivers to start in CNG mode directly. This feature is an industry first and more car makers are set to follow.
CNG cars have usually lacked top-of-the-line features, and weren’t even offered in all the colours that the petrol or diesel versions got. However, this will not be the case with the upcoming Altroz iCNG that was showcased at the Auto Expo in the top-end trim complete with a 7-inch infotainment display, Android Auto, Apple CarPlay, digital instrumentation, even a sunroof and wireless charger among others. With the Altroz iCNG, you don’t have to compromise on a low-grade infotainment system, smaller wheels, no alloy wheels or a lack of exterior paint colours. Also, the Altroz’s crash safety has been rated for full five stars by G-NCAP, which means it does not compromise on safety either.
CNG cars are as safe as their equivalent petrol cars. So if a CNG car’s petrol equivalent has received a GNCAP rating, that is the most accurate way to assess the latter’s overall safety. If you take a look at the Tiago, it has got four stars and the Altroz has got five stars, making them the safest hatchbacks in India. So we expect the Altroz iCNG to be similar in terms of safety ratings. Also, for added safety, the Altroz iCNG gets features such as thermal incident protection, gas leak detection, a microswitch to cut off the ignition when refuelling CNG and a fire protection device.
In terms of safety it is also safer to buy factory-fitted CNG cars rather than fitting an aftermarket CNG kit. Factory-fitted CNG cars have better safety features baked in and this will also keep your warranty alive.
There are more than a million CNG-equipped cars in India so, yes, they are definitely popular. These numbers can only go upwards because of the advent of the new generation of CNG cars such as the Tata Altroz iCNG which does not compromise on safety, features, practicality and styling.