Owing to its petrol + CNG powertrain, upcoming Bajaj CNG bike might be the most economical motorcycle in India to own and operate
Indian automotive industry has been one of the fastest growing markets in the world. There is a huge influx of first-time buyers, increased consumption and a tendency to own premium products. That said, Bajaj Auto is exploring a different route with one of its upcoming products by making it run on alternate fuels like CNG. Here is everything we know about this upcoming motorcycle.
1. Name
If there was a competition to see which automaker in India has the biggest wordmark repository, Bajaj would beat everyone front, right and centre. The latest wordmark Bajaj has filed in India, is ‘Fighter’. But names trademarked previously, like Bruzer, Marathon, Trekker, Freedom and Glider have equal potential to define world’s first CNG motorcycle.
2. Launch Date
Previously speculated to be launched on June 18th, upcoming Bajaj CNG bike launch has been pushed ahead. Now, the company has officially announced the launch date, which is July 17th, 2024. Nitin Gadkari, Minister of Road Transport and Highways, will grace this event along with Rajiv Bajaj, CEO of Bajaj Auto.
3. Design
CNG vehicles are usually associated with drab-looking products with many cost-effective measures. A poor man’s solution, if you may. That said, upcoming Bajaj CNG bike looks more exciting than some of their upper-tier budget commuters. We can see ADV-inspired looks with long seat, stubby fuel tank, knuckle guards, handlebar brace, stylish alloys, front disc brakes and more.
4. Petrol+CNG Convenience
As seen in the company’s blueprints, Bajaj is offering a petrol + CNG setup. There is a small petrol tank that should instil confidence among buyers as CNG stations are quite limited when compared to conventional fuel stations. Buyers can choose between running their motorcycle on CNG or petrol.
5. Lowest Running Costs On Any Bike
As per initial speculations, Bajaj will use a 125cc engine to strike a decent balance between fuel efficiency and performance. CNG prices are lower than that of petrol. Also CNG offers higher efficiency. Combining these attributes with an already fuel-efficient 125cc platform, upcoming Bajaj CNG bike might offer India’s highest mileage (fuel efficiency) and lowest running costs among ICE vehicles.
6. Pricing
Where pricing is concerned, Bajaj is not likely to pit it against the lower-tier budget commuters. Instead, this will come at a slight premium. However, the cost savings potential later on in the ownership is unmatched. The most recent spy shots of this motorcycle showed a less fancy base variant with drum brakes at both ends. So, there will be variants to suit more buyers. But a starting price of around Rs 95,000 (Ex-sh) sounds reasonable.
7. More CNG Bikes From Bajaj
Bajaj intends to launch one or two CNG motorcycles by the end of this year. There will be more CNG bikes in the future, depending on market reception. The total number of CNG bikes from Bajaj will be around 5-6 and might increase in the future.
