Update - 19/04/2021 - While we have come through several posts of manual cars with CNG kit and some of the examples are from Maruti which provides factory-fitted CNG cars. In this article, we explain the pros and cons along with our final verdict if CNG can be opted for automatic cars.
With petrol prices going up every day and with increasing traffic jams on the roads, the running costs of petrol cars are increasing at a brisk rate. In addition to this, the air pollution levels are also touching new highs with each passing day. All these conditions have led to an increase in the demand of CNG powered vehicles as CNG is not just a cleaner fuel but costs way less than petrol. While we do have many companies that offer CNG powered cars with a manual transmission, no company offers an automatic CNG car.
How Is A Petrol Car Converted To CNG?
As of now, there are a number of companies that are offering cars with factory fitted CNG kits. However, as we discussed before, no automatic car comes with a CNG kit from the factory. In such cases, we can get a CNG kit retrofitted from outside. There are three types of CNG kits available in the market - open-loop, closed-loop, and sequential kit. While it is the open-loop kit that works out to be the cheapest, we recommend you to go with a sequential kit as it is safest and gives the best performance amongst the three. With the basics being sorted, we will not go into the detailed procedure of the installation of the CNG kits. If you are interested to know more about the installation procedure, join our 91Wheels Auto Enthusiasts Whatsapp Group. (Click on the link via mobile to join)
Usually, after the installation of a CNG kit, a petrol car can be run on petrol mode or on the CNG mode. A CNG tank is installed in the boot to store the gas. As of now, CNG is available in almost all metropolitan cities and other major cities. With this being said, the answer to the question 'can we install CNG in Automatic cars?' is a big yes!
Yes, there is no problem with installing a CNG kit in a petrol automatic car. Let us take a look at the pros and cons of installing a CNG kit in automatic cars.
Pros:
- It will save a lot of money on fuel bills.
- The vehicle will pollute lesser than before.
- Reduces maintenance costs: Since CNG contains no lead, the spark plug life is extended. Similarly, CNG does not react and contaminate other components of the engine and the engine oil.
- Performance Advantage: Natural Gas gets an octane rating of around 127 which decreases the chances of knocking, and vapor locking. In addition to this, severe weather conditions do not take a toll on the ignition efficiency of the vehicle.
Cons
- The warranty of the vehicle will stand void as soon as a CNG kit is installed in the vehicle.
- The boot space is occupied by the CNG cylinder, making it difficult to carry large luggage.
- The performance of the vehicle will go down by a significant margin.
Precautions
- You should get the kit installed from government authorized CNG installers.
- A sequential kit is expensive but performs better and is more reliable. A sequential kit should be your first choice.
- Do not go for cheap kits
Final Verdict
If you are someone who needs a car strictly for commute and if you are someone who does not push the car to have that occasional fun, then getting a CNG kit in your automatic car is highly recommended. As of now, we have not encountered any instances or examples where a CNG kit has failed to perform in an automatic car. However, do not forget to take the necessary precautions while doing so.
Join our discussion on can we install CNG in automatic cars? on our 91W Auto Enthusiast Whatsapp Group. (click on the link via mobile to join)
