Los Angeles Gets 500 VinFast EVs As New Ride-Hailing Service Takes On Uber And Lyft

Green SM debuts a 500-car VinFast VF 8 fleet in Los Angeles, using company-owned EVs and full-time drivers instead of gig contractors.

Green SM LA launch with Vinfast VF 8 EV

Photo by: Vinfast

Brian Potter

By: Brian Potter

Oct 19, at 3:02am ET

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Green SM launched its Los Angeles service on October 13 with a sizable presence. The Vietnamese ride-hailing company owns every vehicle in its 500-car VinFast VF8 fleet outright and staffs them with employee drivers.

The way Green SM owns its cars and hires its drivers is the core difference here. Uber and Lyft depend on independent contractors using their own vehicles, while Green SM put 500 full-time employees in company-owned electric SUVs.

500 VinFast VF 8 Taxis In Los Angeles

Green SM LA launch with Vinfast VF 8 EV

Green SM LA launch with Vinfast VF8 EV

Photo by: Vinfast

Los Angeles is Green SM's first US market. It's part of a young network that started in Vietnam in 2023 before expanding across Asia and into Europe. The company's vehicles and drivers are already active across Los Angeles County, with coverage stretching south into Orange County.

Every car in the launch fleet is a five-seat VF8, VinFast's electric SUV, and every ride it completes produces zero tailpipe emissions. The company says it has already completed roughly 850 million rides globally. Secondary reports citing S&P Global Mobility data describe an analyst estimate of about 389 new VinFast US vehicle registrations between January and July 2026.

Riders can summon a car three ways: through the Green SM app, by calling the company's hotline, or by hailing one on the street. Fares scale by time and distance, and early coverage compares typical trip costs to Uber Comfort pricing.

Green SM lists airport runs among its intended services in the United States. Neither the company nor Los Angeles World Airports have publicly detailed when, or under what permit, its cars might serve Los Angeles International Airport.

Full-Time Drivers Set The Service Apart

Green SM LA launch with Vinfast VF 8 EV

Green SM LA launch with Vinfast VF8 EV

Photo by: Vinfast

Every one of the 500 drivers in Los Angeles is a company employee rather than a gig contractor. They go through the same selection, training and onboarding process before they ever pick up a rider.

Green SM supplies the car, the maintenance and the training. The driver shows up to a shift instead of logging into an app whenever they choose.

Hoang Thanh Hang, Green SM's US chief executive, said the approach is more than a fleet swap. The company isn't simply expanding into a new market, she said, but trying to build trust with customers, drivers and local communities "one journey at a time," adding that "the other half of the equation is the company's quality of service and intentional customer interactions." That pitch relies on predictable schedules and employer-backed benefits in place of the variable earnings common in gig work.

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The launch comes with simple promotions aimed at pulling in first-time users. New customers get 50 percent off, up to $12 per ride, on their first five trips, plus a Green Pass membership that carries 10 monthly vouchers worth 30 percent off, up to $10 per ride.

Green SM says it will keep building out its Los Angeles team, recruiting and training additional local drivers as demand grows. The push lands in a market where robotaxi services are also expanding. Waymo's fully driverless Waymo One service has been open to all riders in Los Angeles since November 12, 2024, and Uber's own electrification deals show how competitive the electric ride-hailing space in Southern California has already become.