Car makers planning for more CNG and LPG models

After the Indian government took the decision of decontrolling the fuel prices, the prices of petrol and diesel have raised and the carmakers are focusing on alternate fuel option. The carmakers are constantly making plans for strapping more and more models with CNG or LPG variants. Maruti Suzuki is planning for a blitzkrieg which will have CNG. The company will also launch dual-fuel variants for five of its models. This will include the models of Alto and WagonR.

Some other carmakers which have got plans on the same lines include General Motors, Toyota and Hyundai. These companies are also thinking about the CNG and LPG options for their cars. GM is currently offering LPG option in Spark and CNG in Optra and Aveo sedans. Looking at these conditions and according to the officials of auto companies, the market for alternate fuel fuel is likely to expand and become more strong in the the coming months. The per KM cost of petrol is Rs 3.44 and that of diesel is Rs 2.35, it is Rs 2.23 on petrol-LPG and Rs 1.31 on petrol-CNG, as per the estimates.

Looking at the potential, Maruti Suzuki is also considering to offer CNG option in its different segments. While the Alto, WagonR and Estilo will have CNG option in compacts, the same will be offered in SX4 (sedan) and Eeco ( in the multi-purpose vehicle category).

An industry analyst said that the only point with the retrofied model is that it can have problems on warranty because many times the car companies refuse to take them within their fold. These companies say that the problems like damages and accidents can be the result of the tampering done with the car when the CNG or the LPG kits were installed by an outside vendor.