Maruti Suzuki plans to produce 5 lakh CNG vehicles in FY23 as auto fuel prices rise
Maruti Suzuki India, the country’s largest carmaker, sees an opportunity for CNG-powered vehicles, and it plans to widen its CNG portfolio by producing half a million vehicles in the upcoming financial year as the increase in petrol and diesel prices has accelerated the demand for CNG variants. Worth mentioning here is the carmaker leads the CNG space in the domestic market with more than 85 per cent market share in the segment. In FY 23, Maruti is poised to manufacture 600,000 CNG-powered vehicles - more than half of a million CNG cars it has sold in the domestic market cumulatively in the last two decades. It is important to shift to cleaner energy sources to cut carbon emissions till electric vehicles (EVs) become mainstream, ET cited Maruti Suzuki chairman RC Bhargava as saying. “CNG emits 20 per cent less Co2 than petrol. In fact, bio CNG is carbon negative. Lower prices (of CNG) make it a very good option, especially for small car buyers,” he told the financial daily, mentioning that more attempts should be made to produce bio CNG in India.