Blueprints suggest Bajaj is tinkering with CNG fuel for motorcycles
Motorcycles in general offer one of the most efficient ways of transport, thanks to their small and fuel-efficient engines. However, with fuel prices going up every week, manufacturers are continuously looking for alternative sources of energy that are cheap to produce and at the same time relatively available. Lithium batteries that power electric motorcycles, on the other hand, are still expensive and require so much energy and resources to produce.
For Bajaj, Compressed Natural Gas (CNG) might be the alternative fuel source that future motorcycles may use.
KTM sourced the 390 Duke's engine from Bajaj
CNG as fuel for internal combustion engines (ICE) is not new and it is a widely used fuel in the mass transport industry. Just recently, blueprints of a prototype motorcycle from Bajaj suggest that the Indian conglomerate is playing with the idea of powering a motorcycle with the said fuel.
Looking at the blueprint, the prototype seems to be powered by a traditional ICE but with some modifications to cater to the larger CNG fuel tank, as well as a delivery system for the CNG fuel.
CNG is said to be widely available in India in the form of methane. Burning CNG is also “cleaner” than gasoline or diesel since it produces less unburned hydrocarbons and other harmful gasses.
Since burning CNG only requires a few modifications to a traditional ICE, CNG as fuel is already widely used in the mass transport industry and Bajaj already has significant experience with it as CNG-powered Bajaj 3-wheelers are to its Indian and select Asian markets.
