CNG car sales growth zooms past other PVs

PETROL CARS: LOSING TRACTION?

- SOHINI DAS

Compressed natural gas (CNG) is fast becoming the fuel of choice for Indian car buyers, with sales growth of such passenger vehicles (PVs) in the first eight months of this year outpacing all other variants.

Sales of CNG vehicles between January and August surged by 46 per cent year-on-year, whereas that of petrol cars declined by 4.5 per cent; diesel model pickups grew by just 5 per cent. The rise in CNG sales even outstripped that of petrol hybrid, diesel hybrid, and electric cars.

In volume terms, CNG vehicle sales are now roughly 30 per cent of petrol vehicle sales. One in every three cars produced by the country's largest automaker, Maruti Suzuki India (MSIL), is now a CNG model, with CNG penetration in the company's overall portfolio having reached 34 per cent as of August.

Several factors are driving this growth, from new car launches to an increase in CNG refuelling stations, as well as innovations like Tata Motors' twin-cylinder system. Original equipment manufacturers (OEMs) are also focusing on less polluting fuels to meet corporate average fuel efficiency (CAFÉ) norms, which aim to limit carbon dioxide emissions from car manufacturers in a financial year.