While manufacturers in other parts of the world seem to be obsessed with stuffing their bikes with more tech, more power, and ultimately more expensive stuff, Indian companies like Bajaj are focusing on other things. For example, we recently talked about how Bajaj unveiled the world’s first CNG-powered motorcycle in the form of the Freedom 125.
However, it seems that Bajaj isn’t content with just compressed natural gas (CNG). It wants to push for more sustainable alternative fuels moving into the future. That’s why Bajaj CEO Rajiv Bajaj recently announced that the company plans on studying CBG, or compressed biogas, as yet another alternative and sustainable fuel moving forward.
Seeing that the Freedom 125 has become quite a massive success, selling upwards of 25,000 units in the first few months following its launch, it’s clear that Indian commuters are looking for more affordable means of getting around. Bajaj emphasizes the potential of CBG as a sustainable fuel, provided that its production scales up in the future.
But before we get ahead of ourselves, what even is CBG, and how does it differ from CNG?
Well, both CNG and CBG are considered clean fuel options, but they have their differences when it comes to how they’re sourced, the environmental impact of each, as well as the potential benefits they bring to the table. For starters CNG is derived from fossil fuels, most of which comes in the form of natural gas extracted from underground reserves. So no, it isn’t a carbon-neutral fuel by any means.
Meanwhile, CBG is produced from organic waste like agricultural residue, livestock manure, and even food waste. It’s manufactured through a process called anaerobic digestion, is renewable, and can be locally sourced. And technically, CBG is considered a carbon-neutral fuel as the carbon dioxide released in the combustion process is offset by the carbon absorbed during the lifecycle of the organic source—yes, the cows, plants, and other living things whose waste eventually produce the compressed biogas.
Now, in the long term, CNG, like the gasoline and diesel fuel we use today, is a finite resource. It’s not a renewable resource, and eventually, natural gas reserves can be depleted. And this is precisely why Bajaj is keen on pushing for the development of CBG infrastructure. Unlike CNG, CBG can be sustainably produced from organic waste, and naturally, this not only gives us a renewable resource but also encourages a circular economy that minimizes waste.
Of course, this is all much easier said than done, as at present, processing natural and organic waste into CBG is still very costly and time consuming. Nevertheless, the same was once true with EV batteries, and as is the case with everything in the world, the more we make something, the cheaper it becomes. So the more we adopt alternative fuels like CBG, the more accessible it will become to a wider audience.
What do you think? Does CBG have the potential to be the saving grace of internal combustion? Or is our beloved internal combustion engine destined for an inevitable death? Share your thoughts in the comments below.
Source: ET Auto
