TVS Jupiter 125 CNG India launch likely in 2025

TVS already has the CNG powertrain ready and will put it into production soon with a Jupiter 125 scooter.

Published On Jul 11, 2024 11:46:00 AM

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TVS Jupiter 125 CNG India launch likely in 2025

After Bajaj Auto launched the world’s first CNG motorcycle, the Freedom 125, its closest rival TVS Motor Company plans to be the first ground-up CNG scooter manufacturer worldwide.

Jupiter CNG should hit the market come 2025
Company targeting 1,000 units sales per month
TVS sells 1 out of 4 scooters sold in India

TVS Jupiter CNG launch, engine details

TVS Motor Company has been working on various alternate fuel technologies over the years, and, as our sister publication Autocar Professional has learnt, it has already developed a CNG option. So, the company will now use that powertrain in its Jupiter scooter.

Sources say that work has commenced on the project (codenamed: U740), which is a 125cc CNG scooter. If everything goes well, it may be launched as early as the last quarter of 2024, but no later than the first half of 2025.

People in the know say the company targets to sell around 1,000 units of its gas-based scooters per month. The intention is to offer prospective buyers cleaner alternatives and reduce the company's CO2 footprint.

Responding to an email, TVS Motor Company’s spokesperson said: "All the technology options (CNG, EV, multi-fuels, etc.) are very exciting, and we are interested. But as outlined in the previous investor call, our plan this year is to launch another electric vehicle, an ICE vehicle, and an E3W vehicle. We are working towards that. We have already launched several variants of the TVS iQube this year. At the core of any choice that we make on the technology is whether it will make TVS owners happy and proud."

The South Indian two-wheeler major is known for its robust R&D setup and effort to develop innovative solutions for the market. The company has the most diverse product portfolio in the country, ranging from mopeds to scooters to motorcycles. It also makes an electric bike for BMW and big bikes under the Norton Motorcycle brand.

TVS Motor is the third-largest two-wheeler maker in the country, with a market share of 18 percent and sales of 3.15 million units. It is also India's second-largest scooter manufacturer, accounting for one in four scooters sold nationwide. It sells around 1 million motorcycles and half a million Mopeds annually.

The Bajaj Freedom 125 comes with a 2-litre petrol tank and a 2-kilogram CNG cylinder. The company claims the bike has an efficiency figure of 102km/kg for CNG and 65km/litre for petrol, so combined, it can run for roughly 330km. Priced between Rs 95,000 lakh and Rs 1.10 lakh, it competes in the same range as other 125cc commuter motorcycles. The Jupiter 125 is currently priced between Rs 79,299 and Rs 90,480 (ex-showroom, Delhi), and the Jupiter CNG is expected to be priced in the same range as the Freedom 125 upon launch.