A recent report by Autocar India suggests that Bajaj is currently working on a CNG-powered motorcycle which is codenamed Bruzer E101. Though not many details about the bike are public just yet, we can expect it to carry a different name upon launch. The report hints that Bajaj is in the final stage of producing the Bruzer E101. If this bike is indeed what is being suggested – a CNG motorcycle – it might be poised to tackle the shortage and affordability challenges faced by the 100-110cc motorcycles.
This CNG bike option can reduce these challenges on a large scale. From what can be speculated, if everything goes as per Bajaj’s plan, we may get to see this bike listed in Bajaj’s portfolio within the next six months. Bajaj has already laid out a few prototypes for testing. The bikes will be manufactured at the Aurangabad Factory as well as the Pant Nagar facility. Also, it is said that the bike will be based on a 110cc engine which Bajaj already offers with some of its models. As per the report, the company will be rolling out 2 lakh units of this CNG bike every year.
Denying to give out the details of the upcoming CNG bike, Rakesh Sharma, ED, Bajaj Auto told Autocar Professional that they have observed 2 major issues in India related to the Automobile industry, which is reducing the import bill and reducing pollution. He also reported on how Bajaj is leading and adapting to the development of CNG and LPG three-wheelers, and how they are the company that manufactures 90 per cent of these vehicles.
“We certainly want to extend this capability to cover two-wheelers which is not easy due to space, size and usage differences. We definitely want to expand the share of ‘cleaner fuels’ in our portfolio which includes the full spectrum of EV, ethanol, LPG and CNG. You can be sure of this in both 2WS and 3Ws – this alignment with society and government is very important for us,” said Sharma in his interview with Autocar Professional.
The CNG+petrol fuel option is not only cheap but also less harmful to the environment. As Maruti Suzuki has already requested, FADA may soon lower the GST rate for CNG vehicles to 18 per cent. If so, CNG bikes can easily be the next big trend in the Indian automotive space which is increasingly looking at sustainable mobility options.
