Tata Motors has launched a trial run of LNG-powered buses in Kerala. (Photo: Tata Motors)
The prices of petrol and diesel never seem to come down which, in turn, is pushing automakers to look ta alternative fuel options. Tata Motors, one of India’s biggest automakers, seem to have found the solution to be Liquefied Natural Gas (LNG) and launched the country’s first LNG-powered bus in Kerala, where a trial run of these buses is currently underway.
With India expected to see an increase in demand for LNG over the coming years, owing to increased demand for the power, fertiliser and automotive sectors, the government also seems that it has plans to move towards a gas-based economy.
But is it actually possible it to be the next choice of fuel and what kind of obstacles were faced in coming up with an engine that could deliver in everyday scenarios while being efficient and easy on the environment? We had a chat with Dr Ajit Jindal, Head Engineering, Commercial Vehicles at Tata Motors and this is what he had to say.
Q. How did the initiative for an LNG-Powered bus begin?
A. We have been doing some studies since past few years on what kind of an alternate fuel can be used in the future and we saw that there has been a shift in trend towards LNG as an automotive fuel. It has been used by the US in small numbers for quite some time and in the last few years, China has taken a big stride in terms of migrating from diesel trucks to alternate fuel-driven vehicles, like CNG and LNG. There have also been a lot of studies in Europe and US about the total cost of ownership of these vehicles and LNG has been coming out as a favourable proposition. Initially, our focus was on the industrial use of LNG, however, there was always a possibility that it can be extended to trucks and buses.
When we started looking at LNG then a few issues came in light.
First was the range. In CNG vehicles, it is limited by the amount of gas the vehicle can carry. For example, if you want to carry a lot of CNG, then you have to carry a lot of cylinders, which means the kerb weight would be high. To strike a balance, you carry a limited amount of gas that gives you a range of 250-300 kilometres. This range is okay if the vehicle travels short distances, but not when you want to travel long distances.
Then there was the price differential between Diesel and Gas. In Delhi, the price differential is good and people are forced to buy CNG buses because of the diktats laid out by the Supreme Court and the regulators. But for other places, the pull towards CNG is not that strong.
While we evaluated range, there was also the fact that when people use CNG, there is a lot of unproductive running of the vehicle, be it a truck or a car, because of the small range that you get with it.
Looking at all these things, we thought we should look at some other alternative fuel which came out to be LNG. Then we started working with oil companies as to when and where can we get LNG as an automotive fuel.
Q. When you say oil companies, are you referring to Petronet LNG Limited (PLL) and Indian Oil Corporation Limited (IOCL)?
A. Yeah, initially we were only working with IOCL. PLL's interest in the automotive sector has started recently. IOCL supported us as they provided an LNG-filling arrangement in vehicles that were inside Tata Motors, as we could not run these vehicles on road.
We made an LNG-powered 'Prima' truck around four years ago and showcased it at the (2014) Auto Expo. The whole idea was to show the country that there was another alternate fuel available and, in turn, get people excited about this technology and get their feedback.
That's how we generated momentum to initiate this project and worked with the government, ARAI and certification agencies to get all the approvals in place. Now, the regulations have been formulated and the draft has come in. The final form will very soon come.
The oil companies are also working in parallel with these organisations to set up LNG-filling stations. So it isn't like we will just make a vehicle and start selling it as there are a lot of other associated regulatory framework and approvals that are required.
The prices of petrol and diesel never seem to come down which, in turn, is pushing automakers to look ta alternative fuel options. Tata Motors, one of India’s biggest automakers, seem to have found the solution to be Liquefied Natural Gas (LNG) and launched the country’s first LNG-powered bus in Kerala, where a trial run of these buses is currently underway.
With India expected to see an increase in demand for LNG over the coming years, owing to increased demand for the power, fertiliser and automotive sectors, the government also seems that it has plans to move towards a gas-based economy.
But is it actually possible it to be the next choice of fuel and what kind of obstacles were faced in coming up with an engine that could deliver in everyday scenarios while being efficient and easy on the environment? We had a chat with Dr Ajit Jindal, Head Engineering, Commercial Vehicles at Tata Motors and this is what he had to say.
Q. How did the initiative for an LNG-Powered bus begin?
A. We have been doing some studies since past few years on what kind of an alternate fuel can be used in the future and we saw that there has been a shift in trend towards LNG as an automotive fuel. It has been used by the US in small numbers for quite some time and in the last few years, China has taken a big stride in terms of migrating from diesel trucks to alternate fuel-driven vehicles, like CNG and LNG. There have also been a lot of studies in Europe and US about the total cost of ownership of these vehicles and LNG has been coming out as a favourable proposition. Initially, our focus was on the industrial use of LNG, however, there was always a possibility that it can be extended to trucks and buses.
When we started looking at LNG then a few issues came in light.
First was the range. In CNG vehicles, it is limited by the amount of gas the vehicle can carry. For example, if you want to carry a lot of CNG, then you have to carry a lot of cylinders, which means the kerb weight would be high. To strike a balance, you carry a limited amount of gas that gives you a range of 250-300 kilometres. This range is okay if the vehicle travels short distances, but not when you want to travel long distances.
Then there was the price differential between Diesel and Gas. In Delhi, the price differential is good and people are forced to buy CNG buses because of the diktats laid out by the Supreme Court and the regulators. But for other places, the pull towards CNG is not that strong.
While we evaluated range, there was also the fact that when people use CNG, there is a lot of unproductive running of the vehicle, be it a truck or a car, because of the small range that you get with it.
Looking at all these things, we thought we should look at some other alternative fuel which came out to be LNG. Then we started working with oil companies as to when and where can we get LNG as an automotive fuel.
Q. When you say oil companies, are you referring to Petronet LNG Limited (PLL) and Indian Oil Corporation Limited (IOCL)?
A. Yeah, initially we were only working with IOCL. PLL's interest in the automotive sector has started recently. IOCL supported us as they provided an LNG-filling arrangement in vehicles that were inside Tata Motors, as we could not run these vehicles on road.
We made an LNG-powered 'Prima' truck around four years ago and showcased it at the (2014) Auto Expo. The whole idea was to show the country that there was another alternate fuel available and, in turn, get people excited about this technology and get their feedback.
That's how we generated momentum to initiate this project and worked with the government, ARAI and certification agencies to get all the approvals in place. Now, the regulations have been formulated and the draft has come in. The final form will very soon come.
The oil companies are also working in parallel with these organisations to set up LNG-filling stations. So it isn't like we will just make a vehicle and start selling it as there are a lot of other associated regulatory framework and approvals that are required.
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