[TusharK]

According to a media report, Maruti Suzuki is working on engines that can run on Compressed Bio-Gas (CBG) in addition to E20 and E85 compatible engines.



CBG engines can run on fuels with 90% methanol content. Compressed bio-gas is purified by removing hydrogen sulphide, carbon dioxide and water vapour from bio-gas produced from organic matter. It has a calorific value that is similar to CNG.

Maruti Suzuki is also working on E85 compatible engines. The flex-fuel engines can run on fuel with an 85% ethanol blend. But for now, the focus is on E20 engines, as all manufacturers will be required to have engines that run on E20 fuel by April 2023.

Toyota currently offers flex fuel engines in select markets of the world. Being a partner, Maruti Suzuki could leverage this to bring the alternative fuel technology to India.

Source: Car and Bike

Link to Team-BHP News

[sri_tesla]

Originally Posted by TusharK

According to a media report, Maruti Suzuki is working on engines that can run on Compressed Bio-Gas (CBG) in addition to E20 and E85 compatible engines.

Looks like Maruti is hell-bent on "anything but electric". As and when EVs start to gain market share rapidly, I hope they don't cry foul. Luckily for Maruti Suzuki, tensions with China made Chinese companies wary about investing large amounts for setting up EV plants in the country. Except for Tata, other companies like Hyundai, Mahindra, Kia, VW, etc... want to delay the EV progression as much as possible. Unlike the 2-wheeler space, we don't have startups like Ather and Ola to drag traditional companies toward EVs.

[shyampsunder]

Originally Posted by sri_tesla

Looks like Maruti is hell-bent on "anything but electric".

Let Maruti keep wasting their time on CNG/CBG/E20. The lower end of the car market where they excel is also the most price sensitive where fuel costs form a big part of the costs. Those customers will see EVs every day and even ride in them as part of Taxis such as Blusmart.

Ultimately consumers of the country will decide on the winning technology. It won't look good for Maruti when consumer preferences change rapidly.

[The Rationalist]

Hope Maruti don’t end up a Nokia or Kodak. The last Maruti we bought was 2 decades back, even now there’s not even one car that entices me in the small car segment from Maruti. I’m yet to check out the Grand Vitara, so can’t comment on their flagship offering.

[Carma2017]

It is a fact that even the most bullish of EV pushers doesn't expect the EV market to be more than 30% of total PV market by 2030. In that scenario, all companies have to have a Plan B as well for the balance 70% market. From what I hear and can see, Suzuki along with Toyota is intending a couple of things:

1) They have put their eggs in multiple baskets with upcoming EVs (from 2025 with the YY8 SUVs), Strong Hybrids (already there with penetration further slated to increase across line up), CNG, improved IC Engines and Flex Fuel Vehicles. This allows them to scale up as the market demands. With Diesels completely sidelined, they can easily focus on these multiple options. There are other options like Hydrogen as well where big brother Toyota has already exhaustive knowledge.

2) They are sucking up to the government big time by showing that they are in line with government strategy, hoping for some lobbying power in other areas. I personally think this is a no good idea as the influencing power of the Indian Companies are much greater as evidenced by statements of the current MoRTH set up.

Like I have mentioned before, I don't think EVs are the future for India in its current form with the current EV players importing the motors and batteries from Chinna en masse. It is a strategic mistake to increase our dependency on China further. Till the time we have a viable local ecosystem ready, we have to look at all other options including CBG.

[Chevyspark]

As per my experience when I filled Bio-CNG first and the last time was awful as the immediately starts misfired after Bio-CNG got filled in an empty tank. It would be interesting that how this updated technology performs with such inconsistent fuel.

[Chevyspark]

CBG is also known as Bio-CNG. I used it once while traveling from kolhapur to ratnagiri. An IOCL outlet used to provide it. After filling the fuel the engine immediately starts misfiring. Had a very awful experience using such a fuel. As the plug coil of first cylinder stopped working.

[Aroy]

Multi-fuel engines have been there since before the second WW, used mostly by the military. Gas engines - NG, CNG, PNG, BG, etc. are available and used by industries around the world where this fuel is abundantly available.

The catch is to downsize the big engines (which are mainly single load, single speed) to car size, and have an economic duty at variable loads.

https://www.schmitt-enertec.com/prod...s-gas-engines/

https://www.mechanicalfunda.com/2016...el-engine.html

https://www.oemoffhighway.com/engine...nostic-engines

[RedTerrano]

From what I understand Compressed Bio Gas is a green and renewable energy resource which might nor might not be suitable for vehicles.
Besides an energy resource, it also offers a viable alternative to stubble burning which is one of the major causes of air pollution in places like Delhi, especially during this season.
While helping curb the pollution it also offers an additional income source to the farmers.
And lastly the solid byproducts are very useful as bio manure.

What I don't understand is the Maruti hate.

[theAutomaniac]

Originally Posted by sri_tesla

Looks like Maruti is hell-bent on "anything but electric".

Well sir, I think before writing such posts, you should really check the news! MS had the WagonR EV ready-for-launch but didn't due to its financial viability. They are also working on multiple Born-EVs with Toyota (Based on Toyota's global 40PL architecture ) and the first of these EVs are set to debut around 2024-25 (which is in line with Born-EV launches of Mahindra, VW and even Tata!)
So yeah, I'm not sure how Maruti is "hell bent on not making EVs"!

Originally Posted by Chevyspark

An IOCL outlet used to provide it. After filling the fuel the engine immediately starts misfiring. Had a very awful experience using such a fuel. As the plug coil of first cylinder stopped working.

Yeah I guess such rewards shouldn't be a surprise after playing such games! XD

Originally Posted by RedTerrano

What I don't understand is the Maruti hate.

Going Off-topic again-
The hate is seriously unbearable! Just because two carmakers are going are going in different directions, you can't call none of them jokers or hate on either one of them because while you are sitting in your air conditioned homes while typing the posts out, those companies have massive data sheets to support their decisions!

[SKC-auto]

Originally Posted by Carma2017

It is a strategic mistake to increase our dependency on China further. Till the time we have a viable local ecosystem ready, we have to look at all other options including CBG.

Let me tell you what is a strategic mistake, thinking there are multiple baskets and delaying EVs penetration. Unlike oil producing countries, China has no particular advantage in EV space when it comes to Lithium production or any other materials.

We gave China the advantage by not fully diving into EVs, being smart the CCP grabbed the opportunity. While the Germans are worried about ICE jobs, the Japanese in their Hydrogen wonderland, the Americans heavily invested in oil wars in ME, the Indian Minister who also works part time as Toyota spokesperson.

[Carma2017]

Originally Posted by SKC-auto

Let me tell you what is a strategic mistake, thinking there are multiple baskets and delaying EVs penetration. Unlike oil producing countries, China has no particular advantage in EV space when it comes to Lithium production or any other materials.

We gave China the advantage by not fully diving into EVs, being smart the CCP grabbed the opportunity. While the Germans are worried about ICE jobs, the Japanese in their Hydrogen wonderland, the Americans heavily invested in oil wars in ME, the Indian Minister who also works part time as Toyota spokesperson.

I am sorry but this is the truth when I quote from the internet that "China controlled 65% of the world's lithium processing and refining capacity in 2021, according to Rystad Energy." And it has access to 25% of world's reserves. My concerns stemmed also from the fact that many parts of the EVs from TATA and Mahindra are sourced as it is from China including the motors. Heck, even Toyota is having to rely on BYD for EV batteries and Tech.

But yes, I agree with you when you said that Chiba grabbed the lead in EVs and we were slow. But China did it on its own without too much external dependency and with the industry vectors aligned with the government's. In India, GOI too ideally wants a localised solution. And whether you like it or not, there intent is not to push EVs. They have a single minded focus on reducing India's energy imports bill. EVs are one way to do it. So, if we replace oil from the middle East with parts from China, how does it help India?

[SKC-auto]

Originally Posted by Carma2017

"China controlled 65% of the world's lithium processing and refining capacity in 2021, according to Rystad Energy."

India can also control significant part of Lithium processing if it wanted to, Australia and Chile will be happy to sell their reserves to India, anyway Lithium is just 2% of battery and can be recycled from old batteries.

The longer we are worried about Chinese dominance and do nothing, the more Chinese will be dominant.

[Joeboy]

Love it or hate it Maruti is still the largest seller of PVs every month. Alto was the largest selling car in Sept 2022. Maruti still focuses on affordable hatchback cars and people are still buying them. MSIL will take its own time to jump into the EV bandwagon after looking at how the other manufacturers are performing and I think there is nothing wrong in that.

[GTO]

Guys, Maruti is so big that it can afford to blow a couple of crores in "experiments" to see what sticks. Better to spend 100 crores on a failed experiment, rather than lose out on a 5000-crore opportunity. The AMT, mild hybrid, CBUs, 1.0L turbo-jet, 1.6L DDiS, 5-lakh Versa, Zen Classic etc. were all experiments. Some worked phenomenally, some didn't. Maruti even spent hundreds of crores on a superb 1.5L diesel engine, only to discontinue it within a year or two, due to BS6. The company has moved on.

Investing in new initiatives is also a great way to encourage innovation in the R&D department, attract talent etc.