Bajaj is gearing up to create a storm in the market with the launch of its new Freedom model which runs on Compressed Natural Gas (CNG).
About 100,000 motorcycles are sold in India every month, and of these, about 70% are intended for daily transportation, which means that the price of fuel is extremely important for most drivers in India. So much so that the jump in fuel prices in 1997 is attributed to the rise in popularity of four-stroke motorcycles compared to the more popular two-stroke motorcycles of that time.
So now, at a time when fuel prices are volatile, Bajaj has made a bold move to design the world’s first production motorcycle that runs on CNG.
Bajaj claims that drivers can reduce their operating costs by 50% with the Freedom. The motorcycle has a starting price of around 1,220 euros, and when running on CNG, the 125 cc engine with 9.3 hp available will propel the Freedom up to a maximum speed of 90 km/h. It will also have a range of around 200 km thanks to the 2 kg/12.5 liter CNG tank located under the seat.
The problem that some people will have with CNG is its availability and the waiting time to fill the tank. To combat this, Bajaj has equipped the Freedom with a 2-litre auxiliary petrol tank so that riders can switch on the go. When running on petrol, the engine has a slightly higher top speed of 93 km/h mph, but its range drops to around 130 km.
The rest of the motorcycle is relatively simple, but it comes with a fully digital speedometer and Bluetooth connectivity. I mean, you can’t ask for much more than a motorcycle that costs less than 1,300 euros.
As for whether Bajaj will ever offer the CNG Freedom outside India, that remains to be seen.
Source: www.moto-berza.com
