Uber and Lyft built billion-dollar empires on invisible labor — your driver’s personal car, their gas, their risk. Green SM, a Vietnam-based ride-hailing company with roughly 850 million rides completed across Asia and Europe, arrived in Los Angeles this October with a different proposition: 500 company-owned VinFast VF8 electric SUVs, 500 full-time W-2 employees behind the wheel, and a direct challenge to the platform model that has defined urban transportation for a decade.
The Gig-Economy Flip
Green SM pays its drivers like actual employees — and that might be the most structurally significant thing about it.
Every driver is company-trained and operating a company-maintained vehicle. U.S. CEO Hoang Thanh Hang described the differentiation as combining an electric fleet with service quality and intentional customer interactions, according to launch coverage. Riders can book through the Green SM app, call a hotline, or — notably, in an era of app-only everything — hail one on the street. Service covers Los Angeles County and extends south into Orange County.
Quick facts before you open the app:
- Fleet: 500 VinFast VF8 electric SUVs, company-owned and maintained
- Drivers: Full-time W-2 employees, company-trained
- Booking: App, phone hotline, or street hail
- Territory: Los Angeles County and Orange County
- LAX status: Not yet approved for airport pickups at launch
What You Actually Need to Know Before You Book
Fares, promotions, and one significant caveat about the airport.
Pricing is time-and-distance based, positioned to compete with Uber Comfort. New riders receive 50% off their first five rides, up to $12 per ride. The Green Pass membership adds 10 monthly vouchers at 30% off, capped at $10 per ride — useful if the routes work for you.
Here is the caveat worth flagging clearly: Green SM had not yet received approval to pick up passengers at Los Angeles International Airport at launch. If an LAX transfer is on your itinerary, confirm availability before you rely on it.
A Rolling Showroom With Something to Prove
VinFast recorded 389 U.S. registrations in the first seven months of 2026 — then deployed 500 vehicles in one city overnight.
That figure, drawn from Mobility Global data reported by Motor Illustrated, is the real subtext of this launch. Deploying a 500-car fleet in a single market when national registrations are that modest is less a conventional sales strategy than a very public statement of intent. Car and Driver previously flagged concerns about the VF8’s handling, suspension, and fit and finish, while noting that later U.S. models appeared to address some of those issues. Los Angeles riders will now form their own assessments during ordinary commutes — no dealership visit required.
Whether Green SM earns a durable place in this market will show up in driver retention numbers, LAX regulatory approval, and repeat ridership. The launch announcement is the easy part. Surviving the comparison to Uber on a Tuesday at 8 a.m. is the actual test.
