Bajaj Freedom 125 CNG Bike: How Safe Is It? Bajaj Answers

The Bajaj Freedom 125 has just been launched and it is the world’s first CNG bike. But because it is a CNG bike with a cylinder placed underneath the seat, an obvious question arises regarding the safety aspect of the bike. Well, during the presentation at the launch event, Bajaj Auto showed clips of various tests it conducted on the bike at its test facility during the bike’s development process.  

The manufacturer conducted a Frontal Collision Test to simulate a head-on collision scenario where the bike was travelling at a relative speed of 60kmph towards another moving object weighing 1,500kg. After the crash, the CNG tank remained intact without any change in pressure and CNG gas leakage. 

In another test, Bajaj Auto simulated a scenario of a heavy vehicle rolling over the bike when it had fallen down on the ground. Even after a 10-ton truck rolled over the bike in the test, the CNG tank remained intact with its position unchanged, without a change in pressure and no CNG gas leakage either. The manufacturer also conducted 9 other tests like Frontal Pendulum Test, a Rear Impact Test, a Left Side Impact Test, a Right Side Impact Test, a Vertical Drop Test, a 50kg Filling Unit Strength Test, two kinds of CNG Valve Impact Test and a 20G Pull Out Test. The valve impact tests check whether the valve’s integrity in case of a direct hit. The impact tests check the integrity of the whole bike after being hit by another object. The bike is dropped from a certain height in the vertical drop test.   

Bajaj Auto has taken various measures to make sure the CNG tank in the Bajaj Freedom 125 is unaffected in various accidental scenarios. The trellis frame and the rear subframe have been designed in a way that both surround the CNG cylinder as a cage and protect it from damages. Also, the 125cc engine has been placed away from the cylinder so that the engine’s heat does not affect the cylinder, as CNG being a pressurised gas expands under heating. Also, while filling CNG at any pump, riders will have to get off the bike as a precautionary measure to prevent themselves in case the CNG cylinder explodes. 

As shown by Bajaj Auto, the bike has gone through various tests to ensure there aren’t any safety issues associated with it. Just like any other vehicle, all two-wheelers, before being launched, are required to go through a government mandated set of tests. So we think it is safe to say that there shouldn’t be any major issues with the CNG cylinder in hazardous situations.