The country’s largest car maker Maruti Suzuki India Limited (MSI) on April 14 said it sold over 1.57 lakh factory-fitted S-CNG vehicles in the last financial year, its highest-ever S-CNG car sales.

The auto major had sold 1,06,444 CNG units in 2019-20. Maruti sells a range of factory-fitted CNG cars, including Alto, Celerio, Wagon-R, S-PRESSO, Eeco, Ertiga, Tour S and Super Carry. "We see CNG as a technology that has set a new benchmark in green fuel mobility.

Maruti Suzuki offers its customers the widest options of factory-fitted CNG-powered cars. "At the same time, CNG is becoming one of the most preferred alternative fuels due to its economic cost of running (as compared to high prices of petrol and diesel) and improved CNG filling infrastructure," MSI Executive Director (Marketing & Sales) Shashank Srivastava said.

With the government's clear focus on expansion of CNG outlets in the country, the company is confident of greater acceptance of factory-fitted CNG vehicles, even in challenging times, he added. MSI's S-CNG vehicle range is aligned to the government's vision to reduce oil import, the company said in a statement. The government aims to enhance the share of natural gas in the energy basket of the country from 6.2 percent now to 15 percent by 2030.

The company's S-CNG technology will play a critical role in democratising green cars in the country, MSI noted. It further said the Ministry of Petroleum and Natural Gas and the gas industry are working aggressively on the expansion of CNG stations across the country.

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