Engineering Marvel: India's First HCNG Vehicle Competition Unveiled at BAJA SAEINDIA 2025

Indore: For the first time in India, engineering students from various universities across the country developed, raced and attempted to justify the commercial viability of mixed hydrogen-CNG engines during BAJA SAEINDIA 2025which will be held on Saturday at NATRAX near Indore.
“The introduction of HCNG vehicles marks a revolutionary leap forward in automotive engineeringshowing the future of sustainable mobility” said BAJA SAEINDIA President S Balraj.
The students received the engine with fuel containing a mixture of 5% hydrogen and CNG. They were asked to develop the vehicle from scratch, ensure safety parameters, control carbon emissions and provide a sustainable and cost-effective mass production model.
Over the last two days, the students were judged on different parameters before declaring the first winners of the first HCNG vehicle competitions of BAJA SAEINDIA. Team Kshatriya from Vellore Institute of Technology, Vellore, was announced as the winner of the Altair Simulation Award, involving designing aspects of vehicles.
Geosonic team from Guru Nanak Dev Engineering College, Ludhiana, presented the best selling point for mass production of HCNG vehicles, and Nashorns team from Pimpri Chinchwad College of Engg & Tech, Pune, emerged winner by mastering the cost of production.
The Resonance India team from AISSMS College of Engg, Pune, won the award for controlling carbon emissions and pollution.
On Saturday, the HCNG teams participated in an endurance race. During the two-hour endurance event, teams competed not only for speed, but also for the efficiency and durability of their HCNG-powered ATVs.
The event pushed drivers and their buggies to their limits, demonstrating the practical applications of sustainable technologies in high-performance environments. At around 65 km, the teams refueled with 1 kg of HCNG, giving a mileage of around 13 km/kg.
The winners of the endurance race will be announced on Sunday, when the final stage of gas-powered mountain bikes competes for the titles.