Alternate fuels such as CNG have gained immense popularity in the last 5 years or so, and car on CNG is a growing trend. The introduction of BS6 emission standards has killed the diesel-powered cars in the hatchback and up to C segment sedan section cars. Big players such as Maruti Suzuki, VW, Tata have almost completely said bye-bye to diesel engines. In the absence of diesel engines, alternate fuels have gained so much popularity. All major brands now have CNG options in the hatchback and entry-level compact sedan segment. CNG-powered cars are extremely efficient and lighter on the pocket. It is a great option for in-city or moderate highway driving. But people still are in doubt whether they should go for CNG or not. The fear is associated with the early days of CNG in India, where they were mostly installed outside the authorized dealers and were not that safe. But now things have completely changed. The manufacturers such as Maruti Suzuki and Hyundai are throwing tons of money into R&D to develop a compatible and safe CNG system for their cars.
The new sequential injection technology of CNG is much safer and reliable. However, there are certain points that you can follow if you intend to install the CNG from a third-party option. First, do not use unauthorized CNG kits, always try to look for a car that is factory-fitted with a CNG kit. The third-party dealers mostly use mismatched or hybrid kits sometimes to convert a car to run on CNG, you should avoid that at all the cost. Make sure that the kit that is being installed is suitable and authorized for the car and engine type. After installing the CNG kit, make sure that you obtain the CNG cylinder test certificate from the installer, this ensures the safety of the kit. There are certain things that you must regularly get tested as a part of general maintenance. You must get your CNG cylinder leak tested at periodical intervals, which includes testing the major components of the kit too. Also, lastly, you must avoid smoking in your car that has a CNG kit installed.
CNG fitted cars are now much safer and the incidents of a CNG car catching fire are rare now. With these precautions, you can safely use a CNG car. You can follow some other small tips such as always turning off the car engine while refilling or parking the car in a shaded area to prevent heat build-up. It is safer to fill the CNG cylinder up to its 2/3rd capacity, to leave some gap for expansion during hot days. Driving your car on CNG, with these precautions can make your travel safer, and it will ensure that no unfortunate incident will occur.
