Green SM Launches All-Electric Taxi Service in Los Angeles

Green SM, a Vietnamese public transportation company, has officially launched an all-electric taxi service in Los Angeles, marking its entry into the North American market.

What Happened

The launch makes the United States the ninth market for Green SM, which began operations in Vietnam in 2023 before expanding to Laos, Indonesia, the Philippines, India, Kazakhstan, Denmark, and the Netherlands. The Los Angeles service operates entirely on VinFast battery-electric vehicles, specifically using a fleet of VinFast VF 8 crossover models. Passengers can book rides via a mobile app, call dispatch directly, or hail cars on the street. To encourage initial adoption, the rollout includes introductory price discounts and subscription options for frequent riders.

Why It Matters

This deployment provides a real-world testing ground for VinFast’s electric vehicles in a busy transit market, allowing the company to demonstrate battery endurance, turnaround times, and fleet reliability on local streets. The move follows VinFast’s recent announcement at the APTA TRANSform & EXPO in Chicago regarding a partnership with NexMove to introduce electric buses to the American public transit market. Green SM’s CEO in the U.S., Hoang Thanh Hang, stated that the goal is to build trust with customers, drivers, and local communities. Company data indicates that its global fleet has completed approximately eight hundred fifty million rides and logged nearly six billion kilometers, saving an estimated eight hundred thousand tons of carbon dioxide emissions. Operations in Southern California involve recruiting local drivers, establishing training programs, and building maintenance facilities to refine processes before potential expansion to other American cities.

The Bottom Line

Green SM has established a foothold in the U.S. market with an all-electric taxi fleet in Los Angeles, leveraging VinFast vehicles to demonstrate commercial viability while planning for future expansion. VinFast has not yet responded to inquiries regarding whether the Los Angeles fleet consists of newly imported vehicles or reconditioned units from existing U.S. inventory.