Pros and Cons of Installing a CNG Kit in Car – Things One Should Know

9 Factors One Should know before installing a CNG kit in your car

There are a few things that you should know before installing a CNG kit in your car.

First of all, your car may not be compatible with such a kit. So, before you decide to go ahead with such an installation you must check out this particular aspect. Will your car be able to run on CNG (compressed natural gas)? Usually, it is seen that the older cars are not good enough for their fuel type to be changed to CNG. This is why you must check if your diesel or petrol car would be able to run on this particular fuel or not.

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1. Not every CNG kit is authentic 

The CNG kit price may be just like that of a genuine product but it need not necessarily be so. In this day and age, it is not unusual to find fake versions of everything. This applies to the CNG kits as well. As we have said already, not every CNG kit available in the market is a genuine product. This is why you must check how authentic such a product is before you install it in your car. If you want to make sure that you are buying an authentic product try to choose a branded one.

2. You need a license to use a retro-fitted CNG kit 

You would need such a kit if you have not bought one of those company-fitted CNG cars. Once you are sure that your car is good enough to run on CNG you can go ahead and install a genuine kit over there. However, you would not be allowed to do this legally till the time you get the approval from the RTO (Regional Transport Office) in your area. If you want to get the permission you would have to update the fuel type-related information on the RC (registration certificate) of your car after which the RTO will provide its approval on the same.

3. It would cost you a lot of money to maintain and install a CNG kit 

This is why it may be better to look for CNG-fitted cars straightaway. As such, CNG costs less than diesel and petrol. However, buying and installing such a kit from an authorized dealer would cost you plenty of money. The costs, in this case, could be anywhere between 50,000 and 60,000 rupees. The figure depends on the model and make of the car in which the kit is being installed.

4. You get CNG only at select locations

You can get the best CNG kit for your car but you would still have to refuel your car from time to time. The problem with this situation is that there are not too fueling stations where CNG happens to be available. When you compare this to the number of petrol pumps you have in India there are not many CNG fueling stations in the country. No matter where you are in India you would find at least one petrol pump in the neighborhood but the same cannot be said of the CNG stations.

5. Using CNG Kit could compromise the performance of your car 

If you get one of the various company-fitted CNG cars in India this should not be much of a problem as such. However, if you start using CNG in your vehicle you could see its performance becoming worse with time. The main reason for this is normally the adverse effect that such fuel change has on your car. When you use a liquid fuel it plays the role of a lubricant for the valve and cylinder and stops them from being corroded. However, the gas-based fuel is not able to do so.

6. Using CNG Kit increases the premium you pay for your car 

If you install a CNG kit for a car it could increase the premium that you have to pay for insuring the same. Usually, insurers charge a higher fee if you change the fuel type in your car to CNG. The major reason for this is that your car insurance premium depends on several factors, with the fuel being used in it being a prominent factor in this case. This is why the premium gets affected by the change in the fuel type of your car.

7. This could affect claims as well, especially if not informed 

If you do not inform your car insurer that you have installed a CNG kit in your car it could affect your claims in this case. This is why whenever you make any such change you must inform the insurer of the same. You should not wait for the time when you renew your policy to inform them of such a change being made to your car. This is important as otherwise, your insurer would reject all the claims that you raise in such a policy. The insurers normally send surveyors to verify cars before settling claims and this is when the problem could happen.

8. Installing CNG Kit in your car is beneficial for the environment 

This is a major benefit of using a CNG kit in your car when you come to think of it. It also has a high threshold for auto ignition, which means that the chances of your car catching fire are pretty less. This is also a major reason why the CNG refueling stations are considered to be safer alternatives to the others of their ilk. The chances of accidents in these cases are really low.

9. It would help you save money in the long run      

The initial expenses of buying and installing a CNG kit – as well as the insurance ramifications that we have talked about so far – may have had you thinking that it is better to avoid it just from a financial point of view. However, you can save money in the long run by using such fuel in your car. The biggest reason for such a statement is the fact that the costs of petrol and diesel are increasing regularly. This is where CNG, with its low prices, could prove to be such a great alternative.