Having passed multiple frontal, side and rear collision tests, Bajaj Freedom 125 CNG bike guarantees a high level of safety
While Bajaj Freedom 125 CNG bike’s primary USP is its 100 km/kg mileagesafety systems are also pretty robust. The CNG tank is enclosed within a strong trellis frame and further secured with an additional tank shield. The CNG tank itself is certified by PESO (Petroleum & Explosive Safety Organization), thereby meeting government mandated safety standards.
Bajaj Freedom 125 crash tested internally
Bajaj has utilized a unique setup for its CNG bike. Multiple innovations have been applied in terms of placement of the CNG tank, fitting a sloper engine and achieving adequate control and balance. To ensure that Freedom 125 meets user expectations, the bike has undergone rigorous and comprehensive safety testing. It includes frontal, side and rear impact tests.
In one of the frontal collision tests, the bike can be seen hitting a 1.5-ton load head-on. With both the bike and the load moving towards each other, the relative speed of the bike is 60 km/h. The 1.5-ton load is comparable to an SUV like Hyundai Alcazar that weighs 1,435 kg. Even after such a high impact collision, the CNG tank of Freedom 125 stays in prime condition.
The position of the CNG tank remains unchanged and there’s hardly any dents or scratch marks. The pressure gauge stays in the original position, revealing that there is no CNG leakage. Bajaj Freedom 125 CNG bike has also passed side impact tests and vertical drop tests. In all these tests, there was no damage to the CNG tank or leakage issue.
Truck Runover Test
Going a step further, Bajaj has even put the Freedom 125 under the wheels of a 10-ton truck. This may seem like a crude way of testing, but the results are certainly in favour of Freedom 125. Even when completely run over by the 10-ton truck’s rear wheels, the CNG tank remains intact. Its position is unchanged and the pressure gauge does not indicate any leaks.
Other safety tests performed on the bike include CNG valve impact test, 50 KG filling unit strength test and 20G pull out test. All of these are as per the safety norms mandated by the government for CNG vehicles. Such rigorous testing dispels doubts that some people may have about using a CNG bike.
Bookings open for Maharashtra, Gujarat
Bajaj will be introducing the Freedom 125 CNG bike across India in a phased manner. Bookings are currently open for Maharashtra and Gujarat locations. Three variants are on offer, with prices starting at Rs 95,000.
A pan-India rollout will take several years, as CNG is yet to reach several districts in the country. Some states have a much higher penetration of CNG in comparison to other states. For example, Gujarat has CNG availability in 100% of its districts, whereas Telangana has CNG pumps in only 27% of its districts (As of Dec 2023). North eastern states like Arunachal Pradesh, Nagaland, Manipur, Mizoram, Tripura, Meghalaya and Sikkim have zero CNG availability.
