Los Angeles has a new ride-hailing option that owns every car in its fleet and employs every driver full-time.
Vietnamese company Green SM began operating in Los Angeles with 500 company-owned VinFast VF 8 electric SUVs and 500 full-time drivers, entering a field where most major ride-share services rely on contractors using their own cars.
Here's what to know
According to Motor1, Los Angeles is Green SM's first stop in the United States. The company began service there on Oct. 13, and it is already operating throughout Los Angeles County and into Orange County.
Riders can book a car through the Green SM app, over the phone, or by waving one down on the street. The company also runs differently from Uber and Lyft, supplying the cars, covering maintenance, and having drivers go through screening and training before they start picking up riders.
The Los Angeles debut is also Green SM's first move into the U.S. after launching in Vietnam in 2023 and expanding into other parts of Asia and Europe. The fleet started with five-seat VF 8 SUVs, so those trips have no tailpipe emissions, and the company puts its worldwide ride count at about 850 million.
According to Green SM US chief executive Hoang Thanh Hang, the company is focused on building trust with customers, drivers, and local communities "one journey at a time," per Motor1.
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More background
In Los Angeles, Green SM's 500 drivers work fixed shifts in company-owned electric vehicles, rather than driving their own cars and clocking in whenever they feel like it. The company says that arrangement, along with employer-supported benefits, can offer more stability than the uncertainty often linked to gig work.
Robotaxis are part of the competition too. Waymo has let anyone in Los Angeles ride in a driverless car since Nov. 12, 2024, and Uber has its own EV partnerships in the area, another sign of how crowded Southern California's electric ride-hailing market has gotten.
For some passengers, riding in an all-electric fleet may double as an introduction to the technology. EVs can help owners save money on fuel costs and usually require less routine maintenance than gas-powered cars, which is one reason more drivers are considering buying an electric vehicle. The company says airport routes are part of its U.S. plans, though it has not said when that service might start at Los Angeles International Airport or what approvals it would need.
What's being done?
Green SM is trying to attract first-time users with launch discounts. New riders get half off their first five trips, capped at $12 each. They can also join the Green Pass program, which gives members 10 discount vouchers a month, each good for 30% off up to $10.
The company says it plans to continue expanding its Los Angeles workforce and to hire and prepare more local drivers if demand increases.
If rides in Green SM's fleet get more Californians interested in owning an EV, charging at home often costs half as much as using public chargers, though basic Level 1 charging tends to be slow. Qmerit provides free, instant installation estimates for faster Level 2 home charger installations.
"The other half of the equation is the company's quality of service and intentional customer interactions," Hang said.
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