Beyond Cars: The Untold Story of CNG in Trucks, Buses & Tractors

The Next Wave of India’s CNG Revolution

For years, CNG was seen as a fuel for city hatchbacks and taxis. But in 2025, the story is changing — and it’s big.

Across highways, bus depots, and farmlands, CNG and Bio-CNG are emerging as the backbone of India’s next transport leap — reducing costs, cleaning air, and redefining fleet economics.

From Delhi’s buses to Gujarat’s tractors, India’s heavy wheels are now turning greener.

🚚 CNG in Trucks — From Pilot Projects to the Mainstream

India’s logistics sector consumes over 90 billion litres of diesel annually, contributing nearly 25% of all transport emissions. (PPAC India 2025) With diesel prices hovering around ₹95–₹100/litre, fleet operators are under intense pressure to cut operating costs.

Enter CNG and LNG-powered trucks.

By mid-2025, over 12,000 CNG and LNG trucks are already operational on India’s major freight corridors, including the Delhi–Mumbai Expressway, the Western Dedicated Freight Corridor, and ports like Mundra and Nhava Sheva. (IEA India Transport Outlook 2025)

Leading manufacturers like Tata Motors, Ashok Leyland, and Eicher have launched factory-fitted CNG trucks in the 7–16 tonne range, with real-world fuel savings of 35–40% compared to diesel.

With the PNGRB’s plan for CNG/LNG pumps every 100 km, India’s long-haul logistics is becoming cost-efficient and climate-conscious.

🚌 CNG Buses — Driving India’s Public Mobility

CNG buses have been a success story for over a decade, but their growth is now accelerating across the country.

Delhi NCR: Over 12,000 CNG buses already operational, forming 95% of the public bus fleet.

Maharashtra & Gujarat: Expanding CNG bus fleets in Pune, Surat, and Ahmedabad under the Smart City Mission.

Uttar Pradesh: Lucknow and Kanpur are replacing old diesel buses with 100% CNG fleets.

According to the Ministry of Road Transport and Highways, over 1 lakh CNG and Bio-CNG buses are expected to operate nationwide by 2030.

What makes them effective is not just lower emissions but also economics — CNG buses save ₹8–₹10 per km in operating cost compared to diesel, amounting to ₹4–5 lakh per bus annually.

That’s why even Tier-2 cities are joining the green bus movement — it simply makes financial sense.

🚜 CNG Tractors — The Rural Revolution Begins

In rural India, CNG isn’t just a city concept anymore. The Indian Oil Corporation (IOC) and Rawmatt Techno Solutions have already deployed pilot fleets of CNG tractors in Uttar Pradesh and Maharashtra, converting traditional diesel engines to dual-fuel systems.

The results?

Fuel cost reduced by 45–50%

Operational emissions cut by 70%

No loss of torque or pulling power

Farmers running tractors for 8–10 hours daily report annual savings exceeding ₹1 lakh, depending on usage and region.

Add Bio-CNG to the mix, and it becomes a closed-loop ecosystem — agricultural waste fuels the tractors that farm the same fields.

This “farm-to-fuel” model is already part of the government’s SATAT initiative, aiming to link over 1,500 rural Bio-CNG plants to local agricultural clusters by 2030.

🌱 Environmental Wins That Move the Needle

The adoption of CNG and Bio-CNG in heavy-duty and agricultural segments isn’t just about savings — it’s a climate milestone.

A switch from diesel to CNG can cut:

CO₂ emissions by 25–30%,

NOx emissions by up to 85%, and

Particulate matter (PM2.5) by nearly 95%.

With Bio-CNG integration, these figures become even stronger — approaching carbon-neutral or even carbon-negative performance, as methane captured from waste offsets combustion emissions.

Each CNG truck or tractor reduces carbon output equivalent to planting 900–1,000 trees per year, according to MoPNG’s Clean Transport Index 2025.

⚙️ Industry Economics — The Profit Multiplier

CNG-powered commercial vehicles are changing the financial equation for fleet owners and transporters. Lower running cost means faster turnaround of investment:

Payback period: 12–18 months for trucks, 24 months for buses.

Service cost reduction: 20–25% lower than diesel.

Engine life: Longer due to cleaner combustion and reduced carbon buildup.

This is why CNG fleets are now entering aggregator logistics, school bus contracts, and rural cooperatives, turning clean fuel into a business advantage — not an expense.

🔋 Bio-CNG: The Future of Commercial Energy

The integration of Bio-CNG into the national transport ecosystem is the next big leap. By 2030, PNGRB expects 25% of CNG used in India to come from Bio-CNG, meaning thousands of trucks, buses, and tractors will run on locally produced renewable gas.

This circular approach — waste to wheels — is not only cutting emissions but also creating new rural jobs, stable feedstock income, and domestic energy security.

India’s green logistics revolution isn’t imported — it’s homegrown.

The CNG revolution in India began with small cars — but its future lies on highways, bus depots, and farmlands. By 2030, CNG and Bio-CNG will power everything from trucks that move goods, to buses that move people, to tractors that move India’s food economy.

This is the real clean mobility revolution — one that saves money, creates jobs, and cleans the air at the same time.

In a world chasing high-tech solutions, India’s answer is simple, scalable, and sustainable:

“A nation that runs on its own gas, breathes cleaner, and moves stronger.”