10 Feb 2022
The third-largest company Ashok Leyland expands its CNG portfolio with the ICV E-Comet STAR CNG Range launch to enter the CNG CV good carrier space.
Ashok Leyland, flagship of Hinduja Group, said that CNG would be a leading driver for the company's alternative fuel vehicle portfolio. The share of CNG in the total industry volume of commercial vehicles continues to grow. According to SIAM (Society of Indian Automobile Manufacturers) data, CNG trucks cover 10% of the market, and diesel trucks cover the rest.
Sanjeev Kumar, Head, MHCV, Ashok Leyland, said, "in the last 2 years, the delta between CNG and diesel has grown which led a rapid movement towards CNG. CNG will become high in demand for shorter routes. Infrastructure such as CNG fueling stations has also been built simultaneously."
As part of its green mobility initiative, the company has built a strong team to focus exclusively on alternative fuel technology that uses less carbon.
Ashok Leyland has entered the CNG CV good carrier space by launching the E-Comet Star ICV (intermediate CV) CNG truck range. This CNG truck range of the company includes 16.1-tonne and 14.25-tonne CNG trucks and three-cylinder options. The range has many CNG vehicles such as Ecomet STAR 1415 Tipper and others.
Sanjeev Kumar said the transition to electric as a fuel for heavy tonnage vehicles such as trucks would take some time, while CNG will be adopted rapidly. He said, "While electric will be more prominent in buses, it will take some time to shift to vehicles with higher tonnage. I think there will be liquefied natural gas (LNG) before electricity as progress after CNG."
According to Kumar, the government has opened multiple tenders in different cities for city gas distribution companies. Now, CNG infrastructure is available in some states. The pace of change in electric vehicles will depend on creating such infrastructure.
Private companies and state transport units demand fuel infrastructure development as they want to shift towards alternate fuel. The company has recently delivered 10 BS-VI CNG buses to India's largest airline for operation at New Delhi Airport.
But along with CNG, Ashok Leyland is simultaneously working on multiple alternate fuels such as electric, Methanol and LNG.
Recently, Hinduja Group launched a new electric vehicle firm, Switch Mobility, by merging Ashok Leyland's electric commercial vehicle operations and former Optare company. This joint venture was launched to secure a leading global position in light commercial vehicles and net-zero carbon buses.
Kumar said that we must be prepared and ready whenever the demands of time and technology, we must be ready.
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