Six months and five days after its launch, the world’s first CNG-powered motorcycle has clocked total retail sales of 40,206 units with the best months being November and December 2024. Bajaj Auto, which is fast expanding market availability of the Freedom 125, also plans to sell this eco-friendly bike in select overseas markets in the next few months
11 Jan 2025 | 15574 Views | By Ajit Dalvi & Kiran Murali
Six months and five days after Bajaj Auto launched the world’s first CNG-powered motorcycle in India on July 5, 2025, retail sales data on the Vahan portal shows that the Bajaj Freedom 125 has gone past the cumulative 40,000-unit sales mark. As of January 10, 2025, the eco-friendly motorcycle has ...
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Six months and five days after Bajaj Auto launched the world’s first CNG-powered motorcycle in India on July 5, 2025, retail sales data on the Vahan portal shows that the Bajaj Freedom 125 has gone past the cumulative 40,000-unit sales mark. As of January 10, 2025, the eco-friendly motorcycle has chalked total sales of 40,206 units.
As per the sales data table below, the Freedom 125’s best sales months since launch were the festive months of October 2024 (11,073 units) and November 2024 (12,142 units), which together account for 58% of the total sales till date. While sales in December 2024 were substantially down on the previous two months but that can be put down to also consumers deferring new vehicle purchases to the new year (CY2025).
Sales in the first few weeks after launch in July 2024 were in three digits because of the pathbreaking new product’s soft rollout in only two states – Maharashtra and Gujarat which have strong CNG filling infrastructure. Since then, the company has considerably expanded the Freedom 125’s availability across India including Tier 2 and Tier 3 towns where the CNG filling infrastructure is gradually growing.
The company is banking on the speedy expansion of the CNG filling infrastructure across the country, currently estimated to be around 7,000 stations and billed to more than double to over 13,000 stations over the next couple of years and around 17,000 by 2030, to drive sales.
Speaking to Autocar Professional recently, Rakesh Sharma, executive director, Bajaj Auto, said: “Our CNG bike, the Bajaj Freedom, has got off to a great start. We are actually overwhelmed by the widespread interest in the bike from the entire spectrum of customers. Since we started supplies in August, we have retailed almost 40,000 bikes, and our greatest satisfaction is that they have delighted the customers by not only halving their fuel bill but also reassuring them of a range of 300-plus kilometres through the bi-fuel technology, safety, comfort and a distinctive style. All in all, acceptance is very good, and customers have come to our fold from different segments, indicating a mass appeal for the proposition.”
He added, “We are present in all 350 towns that have a CNG network. We are working closely with gas distribution companies to improve the experience for our customers at CNG stations, and the word-of-mouth from early adopters is very good. So, now, we will work towards deepening the presence in these areas by engaging with a larger majority. We will also open select overseas markets in the next few months.”
Affordable, greener alternative to petrol-engined motorcycles
The ground-up-developed Freedom 125 is a motorcycle that is capable of running on both CNG and petrol and is pitched as an alternative to similar-category petrol-engined commuter motorcyles, which rely on being tanked up on expensive petrol priced at Rs 103.44 (as of January 10, 2025 in Mumbai). It is sold in three variants, starting with the NG04 Drum (Rs 95,000), NG04 Drum LED (Rs 105,000) and NG04 Disc LED (Rs 110,000, ex-showroom Mumbai).
The Bajaj Freedom 125 is powered by a new, air-cooled 125cc, single-cylinder motor which develops 9.5 hp and 9.7 Nm of torque, mated to a five-speed gearbox. Bajaj Auto claims the bike has a top speed of 90.5kph while running on CNG and, when switched to petrol power, slightly higher at 93.4kph.
Bajaj Auto claims the Freedom 125 lowers operating costs by up to 50% when compared to similar ICE motorcycles, which translates into a very wallet-friendly Rs 1 per kilometre. The CNG tank provides a range of over 200 kilometres on just 2kg of CNG. Additionally, the bike’s 2-litre petrol tank acts as a range extender, offering over 130km of range in the event of the CNG tank emptying out.
This dual-fuel capability gives the rider a combined range of 330km. The Freedom 125, as per Autocar India tests, delivered mileage of 94km/kg in the city and 126km/kg on the highway. Meanwhile, the fuel efficiency when running on petrol was predictably a lot lower – 53.4kpl in the city and 62.37kpl on the highway. On the emissions front, compared to petrol-engined bikes, the Freedom 125 emits 26.7% less CO2, 85% lower NMHC’s (non-methane hydrocarbons) and 43% less NOx (nitrogen oxide).
High on safety, the Freedom 125 has successfully passed 11 rigorous safety tests, including impact tests, as well as a truck-run-over test. Earlier this year, the Bajaj Freedom 125 bagged the Autocar Bike of the Year 2025 award, impressing the jury with its innovation, value, usability and cost-effectiveness.
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