Green SM, VinGroup’s Electric Taxi Service, to Formally Launch in Delhi NCR on June 5

Vietnamese conglomerate Vingroup is set to formally announce its electric taxi service, Green SM, in India with an official MoU signing ceremony on June 5, which is World Environment Day. The new subsidiary will rival Uber, Ola, Rapido and even the emerging Bharat Taxi platform. VinGroup, the parent company of EV-maker VinFast has previously confirmed plans to roll out an electric taxi fleet across India, among its many plans for expansion here.

The company’s distinctive bright green vehicles have been spotted multiple times across the national capital region over the past few weeks, and some users have reported being able to set up an account through the Green SM app to book rides already.

Green Smart Mobility, which also operates in Vietnam and some other countries, will use a fleet of VinFast Limo Green MPVs. This is a rebadged version of the recently launched MPV7, optimised for commercial usage. The Limo Green shares most of its specifications with the VinFast MPV7, including its powertrain and 60.13kWh battery.

As opposed to incumbent gig-economy players in this space, the company is expected to retain ownership of all vehicles, hire salaried drivers, and manage everything from charging to maintenance in-house.

After launching its service in Delhi NCR, the company is expected to focus on North India before expanding to other major regions and cities. Reports have suggested that 10,000 cars will be available to customers in the first phase of the Green SM’s operations, and as many as 1,00,000 electric bikes could be inducted soon.

VinGroup is also expected to soon expand into the electric scooter and bus markets in India. The company has recently announced large-scale investments in Tamil Nadu where it is expanding its existing manufacturing plant, as well as Telangana and Maharashtra to promote EV charging infrastructure, green mobility, along with tourism, real estate, and social infrastructure projects.