Green SM has begun operating electric taxis in the United States, deploying its first vehicles in Los Angeles, California, on 13 October. The Vietnamese ride-hailing provider, an affiliate of electric vehicle maker VinFast, is treating the US as its first North American market and its ninth globally, a little over a month after it started operations in Europe.
Customers can book a ride through the Green SM app, which is available on the App Store and Google Play, or through more traditional channels: calling the company's hotline or hailing a taxi on the street. To mark the launch, Green SM is offering a 50 per cent discount, capped at 12 dollars, on each of a customer's first five trips. It is also providing a complimentary Green Pass membership that includes ten vouchers, each of which carries a 30 per cent discount capped at ten dollars per ride.
A fleet of VinFast VF 8 SUVs
Green SM runs both electric scooters and cars in its Asian markets, but its US operation relies on cars alone. The Los Angeles fleet consists entirely of VinFast's VF 8, a mid-size SUV and the most affordable model the brand sells in the US, with a starting price of 39,900 dollars.
VinFast offers the VF 8 in the US in two dual-motor all-wheel-drive versions:
- one producing 260 kW and 500 Nm of torque, rated by the EPA for 256 miles of range;
- one producing 300 kW and 620 Nm of torque, rated for 235 miles.
Both versions use an 87.7 kWh NMC battery pack. Green SM has not disclosed which configuration it selected, or whether both are in service.
Founder, ride volumes and other markets
Pham Nhat Vuong, chairman of VinFast's parent company Vingroup, founded Green SM in 2023. According to the company, it operates exclusively with VinFast electric vehicles and has completed roughly 850 million rides covering nearly six billion kilometres to date. Besides the US, it offers electric ride-hailing in India, Indonesia, Kazakhstan, Laos and the Philippines in Asia, and in Denmark and the Netherlands in Europe, giving it a presence in five Asian markets alongside its European and US operations.
Hoang Thanh Hang, chief executive of Green SM in the US, described the country as an important milestone in the company's growth journey. She said the goal was not simply to enter a new market but to build trust with customers, drivers and local communities, one journey at a time.