NEW DELHI: Applauding the oil ministry’s effort to set up 10,000 CNG stations in the next 10 years, RC Bhargava, chairman of Maruti Suzuki India Ltd. (MSIL), said that the government had realized that the quickest way to reduce the import of crude was to change over to CNG vehicles.
“By 2030, India will have at least 10 million passenger vehicles on road, meaning we would require more imported fuel. Electric vehicles are not going to happen overnight, so the best way to cut fuel import is to move towards CNG, which is available in India,” he said.
The company said that it had witnessed a 50 per cent jump in cars fitted with CNG kits year-on-year, and right now it was offering eight models with the CNG option. Not just MSIL, even rival Hyundai India has started offering factory-fitted CNG kits in its latest compact car, the Santro.
However, a shortage of CNG fuel stations discourages people from opting for CNG vehicles. Bhargava said that despite the shortage, people were spending 35 minutes in queue and refuelling at CNG stations, meaning there was a strong preference for CNG over diesel and petrol.
When asked about the Supreme Court’s decision to ban the sale of BS-IV vehicles post April 1, 2020, the chairman said MSIL will roll out BS-VI complaint vehicles much before the deadline. “We have always adhered to the emission norms.”
The company has an inventory of around a month with dealers.