CNG sales have slowed down in India. As per the data from the Government of India’s Vahan portal, CNG passenger vehicle sales in the January-July 2023 were down by 5.47 percent compared to the same period last year.
That said, the decline in numbers could be due to supply chain issues for CNG parts. This has resulted in a delay of dispatches of CNG cars to dealerships. In the same period, sales of total passenger vehicles showcased a growth of 41 percent and noted a record number of 3,18,752 units.
There are currently four manufacturers offering CNG vehicles in India. These are Maruti with 13 models, Hyundai alongside Tata with 3 models each and Toyota with two CNG models.
Maruti, as expected, sold the highest number of CNG vehicles with 1,15,484 units, followed by Hyundai with 22,625 units and Tata with 15,965 units. All three OEMs witnessed a degrowth as compared to the previous year. Toyota with 2,802 units was in the green as it didn’t have any CNG models in the previous year.
That said, the modest fall in numbers is mostly linked with supply chain issues and OEMs could bounce back by the end of the year.
Recently, many carmakers have started bringing in electric vehicles in their line-up. One of the advantages of the CNG-powered vehicles was its lower fuel cost, but with EVs getting more mainstream and mass-market, many people are opting for an EV. Electric vehicles do have a higher upfront cost, but their running cost is very less compared to both CNG and diesel.
Currently, CNG costs Rs 79 per kg in Mumbai, and it is cheaper than petrol and diesel by Rs 27.49 and Rs 15.27 respectively. Furthermore, there are many state and central government subsidies that are making long term EV ownership attractive.
Also Read – Maruti Suzuki launches Fronx with CNG priced at INR 8,41,500.