Vietnamese electric ride-hailing provider Green SM has begun operating in the United States, deploying its first electric taxis in Los Angeles, California, on 13 October. The move into North America comes a little over a month after the company entered Europe and marks its ninth market worldwide.
Customers can book trips through the Green SM mobile app, available on the App Store and Google Play, or through more traditional channels: calling the company hotline or hailing a taxi on the street. To promote the launch, Green SM is offering customers a 50 per cent discount, capped at 12 dollars per ride, on their first five trips. It is also providing a complimentary Green Pass membership that includes ten vouchers, each giving a 30 per cent discount capped at ten dollars per ride.
Hoang Thanh Hang, the CEO of Green SM in the U.S., framed the entry as more than a geographic expansion. "The United States represents an important milestone in Green SM's growth journey," she said, adding that the company aims to build trust with customers, drivers and local communities "one journey at a time."
A single-model fleet
While Green SM runs both electric scooters and cars in its Asian markets, its U.S. operation relies on cars alone. The Los Angeles fleet consists exclusively of the VinFast VF 8, a mid-size SUV that is the brand's most affordable model in the U.S., priced from 39,900 dollars.
VinFast sells the VF 8 in the U.S. in two dual-motor all-wheel-drive variants. One produces 260 kW and 500 Nm of torque; the other delivers 300 kW and 620 Nm. Both use an 87.7 kWh NMC battery pack. According to the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency, the first variant offers a range of 256 miles and the second 235 miles. Green SM has not disclosed which configuration its fleet uses, or whether it employs both.
Green SM's expansion track
Green SM was established in 2023 by Pham Nhat Vuong, chairman of VinFast's parent company Vingroup, and operates exclusively with VinFast electric vehicles. The company says it has provided around 850 million rides covering nearly six billion kilometres to date.
Beyond the United States, it offers electric ride-hailing in Asia in India, Indonesia, Kazakhstan, Laos and the Philippines, and in Europe in Denmark and the Netherlands. The European debut came just over a month before the U.S. launch, according to the company's account of its growth.
The U.S. launch adds a ninth market to Green SM's network and extends the VinFast affiliate's electric-only model to a new continent.