Bajaj Freedom 125 CNG Bike Launched: Mileage & Running Costs Explained

Quick Highlights

• The Freedom 125 CNG bike has a 2kg CNG tank 2-litre petrol tank 

• It has a claimed CNG mileage of 102km/kg and claimed petrol mileage of 65kmpl

• This results in a claimed combined range of 330km

The Bajaj Freedom 125 CNG bike is priced from Rs 95,000 to Rs 1,10,000 (ex-showroom), and is the world’s first CNG bike. It’s available in three variants: base-spec with drum brakes on both wheels, and a halogen headlight (called NG04 Drum), mid-spec with drum brakes on both wheels, and an LED headlight (called NG04 Drum LED), and the top-spec with a front disc brake and an LED headlight (called NG04 Disc LED). All the variants are powered by a 125cc air-cooled engine that makes 9.5PS and 9.7Nm, and features seamless switching between CNG and petrol. There’s a lot of curiosity regarding the CNG bike’s mileage, and here’s our analysis:

What is the Bajaj Freedom 125 CNG bike’s mileage?

Bajaj claims the Freedom has a CNG mileage of 102km per kg and petrol mileage of 65kmpl. With a 2kg CNG tank and a 2-litre petrol tank, the claimed combined mileage is about 330km. However, it’s worth noting that the petrol is intended to be used as an auxiliary fuel in case the bike runs out of CNG. Which means, realistically, the bike has a CNG-only range of about 200km. 

Bajaj Freedom 125 running costs

Considering an average CNG price of Rs 79.46 per kg in Maharashtra, and mileage of 102km per kg, the effective CNG-only running cost per kilometre comes to about Rs 0.78. If your average monthly running is 1000km, it would cost you Rs 780 in fuel every month. 

Comparing that with an average petrol cost of Rs 105/litre in Maharashtra, and an average petrol-powered 125cc bike mileage, say the TVS Raider 125, is 68.69kmpl (real-world, tested average figure). That would result in a running cost of Rs 1.53 per kilometre, which is Rs 0.75 more than the CNG bike. For a monthly running of 1000km, you would be spending Rs 1,530 for petrol. 

Living with a CNG Bike

With the Freedom 125, you’ll be at the CNG refilling station every 200km while a regular 125cc petrol-only bike will go for at least 550-600km before you need to head to the petrol station. Not to mention the infamous waiting times and long queues at the CNG stations. However, refuelling CNG in bikes should be a quick affair as more people get a CNG bike and as the CNG infrastructure grows. 

In the end, as it stands currently, it all boils down to whether you can trade-off time with lower running costs, or if you want to spend more but cut down on time spent refuelling your bike.