Bajaj Auto launches CNG autorickshaw in Mumbai

Our Corporate Bureau

Mumbai, Aug 8: After a successful entry into the Delhi market, Bajaj Auto Ltd (BAL) has launched its CNG autorickshaw offering in the Mumbai market. BAL has priced the vehicle at Rs 94,600 (ex-showroom in Mumbai) which will be around Rs 18,000 higher than the normal autorickshaw offering. However, BAL vice-chairman Madhur Bajaj said: “It will be possible to recover the cost within a one year time frame. The CNG-run autorickshaw offers excellent fuel efficiency of 50 kg of CNG under actual running conditions. This offers a lower running cost of approximately 40 paise per kilometre, about one-third of the cost as compared to petrol.”

Mr Bajaj was also hopeful that Mumbai would not face the CNG refilling problem that Delhi is currently facing. The Maharashtra government has accepted the recommendations of the VM Lal Committee report, which has recommended replacement of eight-10 year three-wheelers with CNG or clean fuel. BAL is hoping to cash in on this demand.

Mr Bajaj, though declining to give any target, said that BAL was currently capable of meeting the requirements of CNG three-wheelers in Mumbai. He added that BAL was also looking at extending the CNG offering to other cities. The company was ready with its LPG offering which would be rolled out as soon as the government gives the go-ahead.

Currently, there are around 50,000 taxis running in Mumbai, around 20,000 of which run on CNG, with around 25 CNG refilling outlets.

BAL has already supplied over 23,000 CNG autorickshaws in Delhi as replacements for old petrol/diesel autorickshaws.

BAL’s four-stroke CNG autorickshaw also meets the stringent India-2000 norms.