Sponsored: How To Enhance A CNG Car's Mileage?

CNG cars are slowly gaining traction as India moves forward with a plan to reduce pollution and consumption of fossil fuels. A CNG car's mileage is much better than a conventional petrol or diesel car, and as a fuel, it is significantly cheaper than petrol and diesel as well. So, the cost per kilometre too works out to be lower for CNG cars. But even then, there are ways and means to extract more efficiency from cars which run on CNG. So, how exactly can you increase the mileage of CNG cars? Here are a few ways do so: -

Timely Servicing

Getting your factory-fitted CNG car timely serviced can help ensure its smooth running and better mileage. Here's what you should keep in mind - spark plugs in CNG cars should be cleaned and checked every 20,000 kms or 12 months. Perishable parts like air filters are used more when in CNG mode, so make sure to pay your service station a visit as per the service schedule. Also, the CNG cylinder should be checked every five (5) years from the date of last testing / retesting of cylinder by government authorized CNG cylinder testing agency.

Not driving on CNG when the tank is near empty

Yet another important facet of getting optimum efficiency is not running your car dry on CNG. Avoid driving your car on an empty or near empty CNG tank as much as possible. This is because as the tank is closer to running out, the pressure inside falls. The ideal way to go about it is to top up once the CNG tank is three-quarters empty.

A simple trick to increase mileage of a CNG car is to start the car on petrol, drive for a kilometre or two and then switch to CNG. The reason being, the petrol does the job of warming the engine up and lubricates the moving parts inside. End result? The engine keeps running smooth and your CNG car will offer better mileage as well! Good thing is that manufacturers already take care of this. A good example of this is the S-CNG technology by Maruti Suzuki which comes with auto switch to ensure that the switch from petrol to CNG happens automatically.

Maruti Suzuki has a range of CNG vehicles on offer including the Alto K10.

Use Spark Plugs calibrated for CNG kits

If you want your car to be a high mileage CNG car, you could look at replacing the spark plugs meant for a petrol engine and replace them with CNG-specific spark plugs. Not only will these last longer but also keep your car running efficiently.

There are automotive manufacturers in India which offer factory-fitted CNG cars such as Maruti Suzuki India Limited which has the widest range of S-CNG cars ranging from Alto K10 to WagonR as well as Celerio which offer best-in-class fuel efficiency. Till date, Maruti Suzuki India has sold over 5 lakh CNG cars in the country, and with India's plan of opening 10,000 CNG filling stations in India by 2030, CNG cars are here to stay and grow as a means of personal mobility.

What should be your takeaway?

Factory-fitted CNG cars are a lot more consistent in terms of performance and drivability, and has the mileage mentioned by the carmaker unlike aftermarket CNG kits which don't quote any mileage figures.

In addition to that, factory-fitted CNG kits are very reliable as well. A good example in this case is the S-CNG cars by Maruti Suzuki which have dual interdependent ECUs, leak proof design, a well-integrated harness that eliminates any risk of short circuits, specially designed chassis, suspension and braking, and is a setup that has been crash tested to ensure its durability. All of these factors combine to make it a smart choice for car buyers who are looking to buy company-fitted CNG cars.

To know more about Maruti Suzuki's S-CNG technology and its range of factory-fitted S-CNG cars, click here.