Skyrocketing Prices Have Driven Vehicle Owners To Look At Alternatives Kumar Manish | TNN Ahmedabad: Car owners, who have felt the pinch of the fuel price hike the most, have started mulling options to switch over to cheaper fuel like compressed natural gas(CNG) or auto liquefied petroleum gas (LPG). With the price of petrol going up by Rs 5 and diesel by Rs 3, authorized CNG dealers in the city are flooded with inquires by four-wheeler owners regarding the pros and cons of CNG kits. Given the large number of Amdavaadis thinking of greener fuel, it seems that alternate options like CNG and LPG will be mainly powering the vehicles. "The number of cars converting to CNG and LPG is already on a rise in Ahmedabad and the fuel price hike has only added to the rush of car owners lining up for CNG or LPG kits. Through our 40 authorised dealers of CNG and LPG, we came to know that the inquiries have shot up fast,' said an official with the Road Transport Office (RTO). At present, LPG conversion has a bigger market but after the price hike the trend will change in favour of CNG, as one kilogram of CNG costs Rs 28 whereas LPG costs around Rs 37, the official added. Hemal Shah, senior sales executive, Kothari Automobiles, an authorised dealer of conversion kits said, "Earlier, there used to be 10-12 cars in a day coming for conversion. The number has now increased to 25 -30 cars a day. Close to 70 per cent of these are opting for CNG.' With petrol priced at Rs 55.39 per litre in Ahmedabad post-hike, a petrol car with fuel efficiency of 12 kmpl costs about Rs 4.06 to run per kilometre. But, using CNG with fuel efficiency of 18 per km, the cost per kilometre comes down to Rs 1.40 per kilometre considering its price of Rs 28.60 per kg. Bankim Parmar who recently bought a new car fitted with a CNG engine kit said, "I had decided to go for a CNG-fitted engine in my car. Ever increasing petrol prices has been a constant concern and relying on petrol would have cost me a lot on my monthly conveyance expenditure. My decision was correct seeing petrol prices touch Rs 56.' Srinivas Desai, branch secretary, Western India Automobile Association (WIAA), said, "In the car segment, over 20 percent in Ahmedabad have already gone for CNG conversion kits and the number will only increase. Alternate fuels are being seriously considered by car users before buying a new car.' However, CNG pricing by private players remains a concern for users in absence of any government regulatory body to monitor the prices. "Although, there is a governing body to control the CNG prices, the body is yet to start functioning,' added Desai. What is a CNG kit? A CNG kit, which costs Rs 40,000, consists of a pressure regulator that provides the system with fuel at consistent pressure. It also has a mixer that ensures correct air and fuel mixing in both stationary and moving conditions. It is important that the conversion system operates as close as possible to that of system working on petrol. In comparison, an LPG kit costs Rs 18,000. TIPS TO SAVE FUEL Ease off before approaching a red light instead of braking suddenly Keep your engine well tuned Don't use the clutch as a foot rest Avoid rapid acceleration Switch off engine at red lights Clean your car regularly. Excess weight increases fuel consumption Maintain the RPM levels between 1500 and 2000 Always park your car in the shade to minimise AC use Switch to the fifth gear as soon as your car hits 60 kmph Use car pools or public transport if you have to travel far everyday Ensure that the tyre pressure is not low Walk short distances or combine errands into one trip Businessman Jayesh Patel who switched to CNG Rajesh Desai, a private firm employee who got LPG fitted in his car