How Much Can You Save with CNG in One Year? — Real-Life Indian Case Studies
Real-world numbers from Delhi, Mumbai & Bengaluru show just how wallet-friendly factory-fitted CNG cars are in 2025.
Real-Life Case Studies for 2025 By India’s favourite auto nerd, bringing you brutally honest math and street-level insights.
1. Why CNG Still Makes Wallet Sense in 2025 Delhi CNG price: ₹77.09/kg (as of 9 June 2025)
Delhi petrol price: ₹94.72/l (as of 17 June 2025)
Maruti WagonR S-CNG mileage: 34.05 km/kg
Same car (petrol): 24.35 km/l
Translating pump prices into road reality, CNG costs about ₹2.26/km while petrol lands at ₹3.89/km — over 40% cheaper per kilometre in a real-world Delhi commute.
2. Methodology: Show Me the Math Cost per km formula: Fuel price ÷ ARAI-certified mileage
Annual running considered: 6,000 to 50,000 km/year
Extra upfront cost: Factory-fitted CNG models cost about ₹90,000 more than petrol-only variants
Prices are based on Delhi NCR for consistency
3. Case Study #1 — The Everyday Commuter (15,000 km/year, Delhi) Car: Maruti WagonR
Petrol cost/km: ₹3.89
CNG cost/km: ₹2.26
Annual fuel bill (petrol): ₹58,350
Annual fuel bill (CNG): ₹33,900
Annual savings: ₹24,450
Break-even: About 3 years 9 months
4. Case Study #2 — The App-Cab Workhorse (40,000 km/year, Mumbai) Car: Maruti Dzire
Petrol cost/km: ₹4.73
CNG cost/km: ₹2.28
Annual fuel bill (petrol): ₹1,89,000
Annual fuel bill (CNG): ₹91,200
Annual savings: ₹97,800
Break-even: Just under 1 year
5. Case Study #3 — The Weekend Warrior (8,000 km/year, Bengaluru) Car: Tata Punch
Petrol cost/km: ₹5.50
CNG cost/km: ₹3.30
Annual fuel bill (petrol): ₹44,000
Annual fuel bill (CNG): ₹26,400
Annual savings: ₹17,600
Break-even: About 5.1 years
6. Handy Break-Even Rule of Thumb Divide the extra CNG car cost (~₹90,000) by your expected yearly savings:
Break-even (years) = ₹90,000 ÷ Annual Savings
15,000 km driver → 3.7 years
40,000 km driver → 0.9 year
8,000 km driver → 5.1 years
7. Beyond the Math: What Else Matters? Tank infrastructure: Over 6,000 CNG stations across India
Boot space: Twin-cylinder layouts (e.g., Tata) help reclaim luggage room
Performance: Minor drop in power (2-3 bhp) is negligible for city use
Green benefit: 20–25% lower CO₂ and cleaner tailpipe emissions
8. Quick Tips to Maximise Your CNG Savings Refuel in early morning hours for denser fills
Keep tyre pressure 2 psi above OEM spec for better efficiency
Clean/replace air filter every 10,000 km
Use apps (IGL, MGL, etc.) to map nearby CNG stations
9. The Bottom Line CNG remains India’s most bank-friendly fuel choice in 2025, slashing 40–50% off your monthly fuel bills. High-mileage drivers break even within a year; average users in 3–4 years.
Thinking of switching? Start by checking station availability on your daily routes. Then test drive an S-CNG or i-CNG version of your preferred car. Your wallet—and the environment—will thank you.
Sources: IGL price circulars, India Today fuel tracker, ARAI mileage ratings, and official car specs. Compiled as of 17 June 2025.