General Motors developing gas variants for 3 models
Business Line : June 13,2008
Mumbai, June 12 General Motors India is working on LPG and CNG variants for at least three models.
The CNG and LPG experiments are being carried out on the compact car Chevrolet Spark; upper premium compact segment car Chevrolet Aveo U-VA; and mid-size car Chevrolet Aveo, said Mr P. Balendran, Vice-President, Corporate Affairs, GM India.
Alternative fuel tech
“We have been working on alternative fuel technology for sometime and the recent fuel price hike has expedited the process,” said Mr Balendran.
He declined to comment on the launch date. “It is too early to say. Certain tests and trials are to be done,” he said.
However, industry sources indicated that the Chevrolet Spark, the popular small car from the GM stable, will be the first model among the three to be run on alternative fuel. LPG version of Spark is reportedly at the final stage of development.
Even if the company has not assigned any deadline, alternative variants of all the three models are expected to hit the market within a year.
Spark output
Spark, which completed a year in April, crossed 25,000 units so far.
“We have capacity constraints and the production of Spark has hit the maximum. Once the new plant becomes operational we will overcome this capacity constraints,” said Mr Balendran.
GM’s car plant at Talegaon, where Spark will be produced, will become operational by the end of this year.
“We are trying for alternative fuel variants for all our models. All automobile manufacturers are doing it. This is the industry’s response to the spiralling fuel price,” he said. GM is currently offering CNG option in its sedan Chevrolet Optra.
The CNG-Optra is being sold in Mumbai, Baroda and Delhi where the fuel is available.
