Odd-even’s ‘Blue’print: Sales of CNG, hybrid cars go up in Delhi NCR
Since the last odd-even ban, when the company sold about 10,000 such cars every month, the sales of hybrid and CNG cars has gone up to 13,000, every month
Maruti Suzuki India Ltd, the country’s largest selling carmaker, has recorded a 30% rise in the sale of hybrid and CNG cars in the national capital region (NCR) in the past three months.
Since the last odd-even ban, when the company sold about 10,000 such cars every month, the sales of hybrid and CNG cars has gone up to 13,000, every month. “This is expected to go up even further, as we are selling only hybrids in our diesel Ciazs and Ertigas,” said a Maruti spokesperson.
Hyundai Motors, which fits CNG kits at the dealerships, might have recorded about a 10% jump in the sale of CNG cars in the past three months, said some market watchers. The company, however, declined to disclose its sales in the NCR. “It is difficult to determine the increase in sales, but dealers tell us that more CNG kits are being fitted in cars,” said a Hyundai spokesperson.
In the absence of any authentic data, analysts estimate the sales of CNG vehicles and kits to have gone up by 50-100% in the past three months in the NCR.
“Before the implementation of the odd-even scheme, 10% of the vehicles sold in the NCR were hybrid and CNG. Now, the figure has gone up to 15-20%,” said Abdul Majeed, partner at PwC.
Majeed also said a large number of cars that had been sold earlier were being retro-fitted with CNG kits. However, he mentioned that this could compromise the safety of the car and affect the warranty of the vehicle. The exact number of such fittings is impossible to determine as these are mostly done in unorganised workshops. But market watchers said that there was at least a 40-50% rise in the retrofitting of CNG kits. Most carmakers have also started selling CNG kits, which can be mounted on the car, once it is sold.
It’s not only Maruti, but companies like Toyota have full hybrid technology in high-end cars like the Camry. Analysts said that after the ban on diesel cars with a capacity of over two litres, a lot of people are thinking of buying hybrids like the Camry.
Maruti introduced the Suzuki Smart Hybrid Vehicle (SHVS) technology sometime in September. The patented technology that is implemented in all Ciaz and Ertiga diesel cars may also be in high demand.
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