Green SM, the Vietnamese ride-hailing company tied to automaker VinFast, began carrying passengers in Los Angeles on October 13, 2026, in a fleet of VinFast VF 8 electric SUVs. Los Angeles is the company’s first North American market, and it opens with 500 cars and 500 drivers.
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The cabs are cyan, riders can book through an app, a phone hotline or a street hail, and new customers get half off their first five trips. For VinFast, whose U.S. sales have slumped, a commercial fleet is a way to put its vehicles in front of the public without a dealership visit.
Green SM’s launch in Los Angeles
Autoblog’s report on the launch describes the service as emissions-free transportation across the metro area for commuting, errands and regional airport transfers. The company says it will keep hiring local drivers. Green SM was founded in 2023 and already operates in Asia and Europe, including India, Denmark and the Philippines. Vingroup, the parent conglomerate, announced the launch in a statement on Tuesday, October 13, according to TechNode, which describes the fleet as entirely VinFast and including the latest VF 8.
The timing differs slightly by region because the news reached Vietnamese outlets a day later. VietnamPlus dates the official launch to October 14 local time, says customers could book from October 13 U.S. time, and calls Los Angeles the company’s ninth global market after Vietnam, Laos, Indonesia, the Philippines, India, Kazakhstan, Denmark and the Netherlands.
Fleet, drivers and fares
Trade coverage by Mass Transit gives the operating detail. Green SM begins with 500 vehicles and 500 drivers, owns and maintains the electric SUVs itself rather than relying on drivers’ personal cars, and employs its professionals as full-time W-2 workers, not gig contractors. Fares depend on time and distance and are described as competitive with Uber Comfort. The service area covers Los Angeles County and extends south to Orange County.
One limit matters for travelers. Mass Transit reports that the vehicles are not yet approved to serve Los Angeles International Airport, and Archyde’s account says regulatory clearances are still incomplete, even though launch materials mention airport transfers as part of the plan. Autoblog adds that the service is reached through a dedicated mobile app, a telephone hotline or street hailing, so no smartphone is required. Riders heading to LAX should expect that pickup rules may not yet allow the cars. Neither outlet gives a fare table, so the only price signal at launch is the comparison with Uber Comfort and the opening discounts.
The company is also leaning on a brand promise. VietnamPlus lists Green SM’s “5 Good Promises”: good cars, good drivers, good price, good experience and good for the environment. Hang told that outlet the company aims to build trust with customers, drivers and local communities one journey at a time, and that success also depends on well-trained, reliable drivers and care in every interaction. Walker added at launch that service quality is defined by how well the basics are executed.
Why a VinFast taxi fleet makes sense
Green SM’s U.S. chief executive, Hoang Thanh Hang, told the launch crowd to think about what happens when a driver has stability and pride in the work, then said the company is bringing back the dignity of driving as a true profession. Christopher Walker, head of operations for Green SM U.S., said the company arrives with an operational foundation and a culture for service.
The strategic logic is partly about the car, since VinFast also makes a tiny new EV that Autoblog says could suit dense urban transit if it were imported. Autoblog notes that VinFast’s regional sales fell sharply and that the company is restructuring its approach, and the author argues that a subsidized taxi service lets cautious buyers try a VF 8 without the cost of owning one. A controlled fleet also means VinFast, not a dealer network, sets how the car is serviced and presented.
That visibility comes with obligations. Running a taxi service requires charging infrastructure, reliable vehicles and consistent service, and the author of the Autoblog report says success in Los Angeles could become a template for other foreign automakers entering the United States.
Promotions for new riders
TechNode reports that new customers get 50 percent off their first five trips, up to $12 a ride, and that a complimentary Green Pass membership brings 10 discount vouchers a month, each worth 30 percent off a fare up to $10. Autoblog describes the same pair of offers in general terms: half off the first five trips for new riders and a free membership with monthly reduced-fare vouchers for regular commuters. Alongside the 500-car opening fleet, those discounts are the main levers Green SM has disclosed for pulling riders away from established ride-hailing apps in its first North American market.
This article was produced with the assistance of AI and reviewed by Morning Overview editors prior to publication.
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