Projects leaked by an online US website suggest that Indian motorcycle brand Bajaj is studying compressed natural gas (CNG) as an alternative to fossil fuels and battery power.
The report, published by Ben Purvis on the Cycle News website, emphasizes designs that reveal a lightweight, single-cylinder motorcycle. At first glance, there’s not much unusual to notice, although it’s not a conventional gasoline-powered motorcycle.
CNG is a gas that is widely available in India and consists predominantly of methane. It can be used as the sole energy source for a traditional internal combustion engine or, as is already the case, as a range extender for so-called “Dual Fuel” engines.
The great advantages of CNG are that there is little difference, in technical terms, between burning it and burning traditional fossil fuels such as gasoline, which makes CNG a viable but often overlooked substitute for fuels such as gasoline or diesel. It is also a much cleaner alternative, with studies suggesting that it produces less unburned hydrocarbons (UHC), carbon monoxide (CO), nitrogen oxides (NOX), sulphur oxides (SOx) and particulate matter (PM) than petrol or oil.