Maruti Suzuki Hits All-Time CNG Bookings High, e Vitara Orders Soar: Report

Maruti Suzuki has reported a sharp rise in bookings for both its electric and compressed natural gas (CNG) vehicles in recent weeks, as climbing fuel prices prompt consumers to look for alternatives with lower running costs, even as the country's largest carmaker struggles with capacity constraints to keep pace with demand, Autocar Professional has reported.

Partho Banerjee, senior executive officer for Marketing & Sales at Maruti Suzuki India, was quoted as saying that bookings for the company's first electric vehicle, the e Vitara, nearly doubled last month. The automaker has now entered the top five electric passenger vehicle makers in India by volume this year.

Also read: Maruti Suzuki Breaks Monthly Sales Record in May With 39.5% Domestic Growth

"We are seeing a very good traction in the electric vehicle. The booking has almost doubled," Banerjee told reporters following the company's May sales announcement.

Maruti Suzuki recorded its highest-ever monthly CNG sales in May and is working alongside suppliers to ramp up production of factory-fitted CNG kits.

The company said buyers are increasingly weighing total ownership costs more carefully and gravitating towards alternative fuel vehicles as a result. Banerjee noted that many customers who would previously have chosen diesel models are now turning to CNG.

The shift is particularly pronounced in the entry-level segment. In the WagonR hatchback, CNG variants now account for nearly half of all sales, according to the company.

The concurrent rise in demand for both electric and CNG vehicles comes as higher fuel prices, improving charging infrastructure and a broader range of alternative-fuel models encourage Indian consumers to move away from conventional internal combustion engine vehicles.

The auto OEM has received more than 4,000 bookings for the e Vitara in the past month alone, yet supply remains tight as production is currently capped at around 2,000 units per month. Maruti Suzuki anticipates capacity will improve from August or September.

Strong demand for CNG-powered models has also emerged in the wake of a steep rise in petrol and diesel prices.

The spike in demand has occurred even as CNG prices themselves have risen. Banerjee said consumers continue to favour the fuel because its operating costs remain considerably lower than those of conventional petrol and diesel vehicles.

"The TCO of CNG vehicle is much, much better than the fossil fuels," he said.