Photo: Rushlane

By Amika 

Pune: Bajaj Auto which has its plant at Akurdi in Pimpri-Chinchwad has done which no other two wheeler manufacturer has been able to do in the country.

The country's most popular has come up with the Freedom 125, the world’s first motorcycle to run on Compressed Natural Gas (CNG).

The vehicle is 125 cc commuter bike.

It operates on both petrol and CNG.

And is priced between ₹95,000 and ₹1.10 lakh (ex-showroom).

The bookings for the Freedom 125 have commenced today.

The company is confident that the Freedom 125 can cover up to 213 km on CNG alone, with an additional 117 km provided by the petrol tank. The fuel efficiency is rated at 102 km/kg for CNG and 64 km/l for petrol.

The initial rollout will be in Gujarat and Maharashtra. The company has plans to export to markets including Egypt, Tanzania, Peru, Indonesia, and Bangladesh, officials of Bajaj Auto said.

The Freedom 125 is designed for cost-conscious consumers, officials said.

 The vehicle promises to reduce fuel cost by 50 percent.

The bike has a small petrol tank and a CNG cylinder.

The two wheeler allows riders to switch between fuel types using a handlebar-mounted switch. 

The petrol tank holds 2 liters, while the CNG tank has a capacity of 2 kg.

The bike comes in three variants namely, Drum, Drum LED, and Disc LED. It is in seven dual-colour options