With natural gas prices surging globally and supply chain concerns plaguing the EV rollout pace, LPG as transport fuel can play a role in India’s transition to a low carbon economy and fit in the fuel mix, according to the industry body Indian Auto LPG Coalition (IAC). It is the third most widely used transport fuel in the world after petrol and diesel. It has zero global warming potential, while over 60% of electricity in India still comes from coal.

For the IAC, the government has taken a number of measures, including diversifying the energy basket and promoting alternatives, but the focus is more on pushing an EV mobility system to move away from carbon-based petrol and diesel and achieving a cleaner environment.

“But, now that a full-fledged war has been underway involving a key global energy producer and exporter on top of already prevailing pandemic-induced global energy supply disruptions, energy security has become a pressing issue,” said Suyash Gupta, Director General, Indian Auto LPG Coalition. “In this backdrop, should the government not consider other alternative fuel options for mobility, such as LPG, in tandem with its pronounced focus on EVs?”

Pursuit of an Autogas mobility system simultaneously with the EV push would help in achieving clean mobility as well as the larger energy security objective, he added.

He also explained well-to-wheel emissions from LPG are far less than those from electricity. “To expect EVs to create that clean mobility impact in the immediate term is not the case. In fact, with the larger global energy landscape having been redrawn in the last decade on account of the US transitioning from one of the largest energy importers to a net energy exporter, the supply-related concerns on LPG have all but vanished,” he commented.

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4 January 2023