Vietnam’s Green SM Launches All-Electric Taxi Service in Los Angeles, Marking First North American Expansion

Vietnamese electric-vehicle taxi operator Green SM has started offering an all-electric taxi service in Los Angeles, extending its footprint to North America for the first time.

The move adds the United States as Green SM’s ninth market worldwide and places the company—closely associated with Vietnamese EV manufacturer VinFast—into one of the world’s most competitive and heavily regulated ride-hailing and taxi landscapes.

Green SM has played a visible role in showcasing VinFast vehicles, operating fleets that feature the automaker’s models as VinFast pursues growth outside its home market of Vietnam. In Los Angeles, the company’s service is being launched with the VinFast VF 8, an electric SUV that will be used as a taxi within the new operation.

The U.S. debut comes at a moment when VinFast is recalibrating its approach to America. After pushing aggressively to establish a presence in the market, the automaker has recently signaled a more measured strategy—an adjustment that makes Green SM’s arrival noteworthy as another way VinFast-branded vehicles could gain exposure with everyday riders.

Los Angeles provides a high-profile starting point: the city is both a car-centric metropolitan area and a major testbed for EV adoption, with policymakers and consumers increasingly focused on electrifying transportation. For a taxi operator built around battery-electric vehicles, the market offers a chance to demonstrate how an EV-only fleet performs in dense urban traffic, under continuous daily use, and in the hands of professional drivers.

For Green SM, the expansion represents a milestone in its international growth. Entering the U.S. broadens the company’s reach beyond its existing network of markets and places its operating model—electric taxis built around a single EV manufacturer—under close scrutiny from customers, regulators and competitors alike.

While Green SM’s rollout details in Los Angeles were not disclosed in the announcement, the company confirmed the launch of service in the city and highlighted the VF 8 as the vehicle supporting the fleet, underscoring the continued connection between the taxi business and VinFast’s global ambitions.

Why it matters

Green SM’s arrival in Los Angeles gives VinFast another channel to put its vehicles in front of U.S. consumers, potentially boosting awareness through daily passenger trips rather than traditional retail sales alone. It also tests whether an EV-only taxi fleet can gain traction in a market dominated by established ride-hailing platforms. Watch for signs of fleet scale-up, regulatory approvals, and whether the model expands beyond Los Angeles to other U.S. cities.