Green SM, the Vietnamese electric ride-hailing provider and an affiliate of vehicle maker VinFast, has expanded into North America, deploying its first electric taxis in the United States in Los Angeles, California, on 13 October. The launch came a little over a month after the company entered Europe and represents the ninth market for the operator globally.
Customers can book rides through Green SM's mobile app, which is available on the App Store and Google Play, or more traditionally by calling the company's hotline or hailing a taxi on the street.
Launch offers
As a launch promotion, Green SM is giving customers a 50 per cent discount, capped at 12 dollars per ride, on their first five trips. The company is also offering a complimentary Green Pass membership that provides customers with ten vouchers, each carrying a 30 per cent discount capped at ten dollars per ride.
Hoang Thanh Hang, the CEO of Green SM in the U.S., said the United States represented an important milestone in the company's growth journey. According to her, Green SM is not simply expanding into a new market, but aims to build trust with customers, drivers and local communities one journey at a time.
Fleet and vehicles
While Green SM operates both electric scooters and cars in its Asian markets, it uses only cars in the U.S. Its Los Angeles fleet consists solely of VinFast's VF 8, a mid-size SUV and the most affordable model from the brand in the United States, priced from 39,900 dollars.
VinFast offers the VF 8 in the U.S. in two dual-motor all-wheel-drive variants. One produces 260 kW and 500 Nm of torque, while the other delivers 300 kW and 620 Nm. Both feature an 87.7 kWh NMC battery pack which, according to the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency, delivers a range of 256 miles in the former and 235 miles in the latter. Green SM has not disclosed which configuration it chose for its fleet, or whether it uses both.
Company background
Pham Nhat Vuong, chairman of VinFast's parent company Vingroup, established Green SM in 2023. The company operates only with VinFast electric vehicles and has provided around 850 million rides covering nearly six billion kilometres to date.
In addition to the United States, Green SM offers its electric ride-hailing service in India, Indonesia, Kazakhstan, Laos and the Philippines in Asia, and in Denmark and the Netherlands in Europe.
Green SM's U.S. debut is its first entry into North America; the company's other markets span Asia and Europe.