Bajaj MD, Rajiv Bajaj hints at CNG powered motorcycle

Bajaj said that such a bike could be a solution to reduce running costs for consumers.

Rajiv Bajaj, Managing Director of Bajaj Auto Ltd., talked about innovating on the creation a CNG powered motorcycle, with help from the Centre, in an interview with CNBC TV18.

Bajaj said that such a bike could be a solution to reduce running costs for consumers. He added that without disruptive action, the two wheeler segment is unlikely to return to pre-COVID growth levels.

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CNG motorbikes will likely be cheaper, to both buy and refuel, and that would lure buyers who can't afford high petrol prices. Additionally it could also remedy the issue of 'range anxiety' faced by the electric two wheeler segment.

"Who knows maybe a CNG Bajaj motorcycle that halves people's (bike) running costs would be the answer with a little help from the government," Bajaj said.

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Bajaj dismissed the idea of a CNG scooter , along with an appeal to Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman for a cut in goods and services tax (GST) on CNG vehicles to 18 percent.

Earlier this month roads and highways minister Nitin Gadkari urged companies to make the shift to vehicles that run on cleaner fuels, particularly electric.

At the end of June 2023, the Pune-based Bajaj Auto had sold about 20,000 units of its electric two-wheeler, Chetak.