Vinfast is all set to enter India’s ride-hailing market with its taxi company Green and Smart Mobility (GSM). Last month VinFast Asia Chief Executive Officer Pham Sanh Chau announced its intention to launch the service and said that the brand “will be using only VinFast vehicles.”
- Along with VF5, Limo Green MPV is also expected to be part of the fleet
- Vinfast could also explore 2-wheeler ride-hailing services in the future
We understand that the VF5, which is on the cards for an India launch, will form the bulk of the fleet along with the Limo Green MPV, which VinFast has said will be launched very soon. Not much is known about the VF5 that will enter the GSM service; however, the Limo Green will be completely setup for fleet operators by the company itself, including the installation of required speed limiters and the in-cabin passenger panic/help buttons. The Limo will also be offered in a version specifically tailored for private buyers and would not likely carry the ‘Green’ suffix.
GSM operates in the company’s home market of Vietnam, as well as other Asian countries like Malaysia and the Philippines and with a variety of vehicles. While Vinfast already has the VF6 and VF7 EVs on sale in India, for its GSM service, the brand will only rely on the Limo Green MPV and the VF5, at least initially.
GSM can expand to two-wheeler ride sharing
For now, Vinfast is only looking at the 4-wheeler market for both passenger as well as the fleet segments. However, the brand also offers electric two wheelers and is actively exploring entering the 2-wheeler market in India too. “We are actively looking at 2 wheelers and even keen on our other businesses like Vinhomes and Vinmec (hospitals) and power distribution” said Chau adding that the brand would “love to have India as our second home.”
With 2-wheelers in its portfolio, VinFast can then also expand the GSM service to include 2-wheeler ride hailing, subject of course to regulatory approvals, something that other 2-wheeler ride haling companies have struggled with so far.
While the speed of these plans sounds highly ambitious, the brand has so far shown that speed is something it can deliver on. The company setup a new greenfield plant in a scant 17 months, has two models already on sale and is already the 4th largest EV maker in India. While the numbers are still small its commendable pipping brands like Hyundai and Kia.
