First Vinfast's GSM Electric Taxi Spotted On Gurugram Roads
The Vietnamese carmaker VinFast’s parent company, Vingroup, recently launched its taxi service business, Green SM (Smart Mobility), in India. It was recently reported that the company has started hiring drivers for its 10,000 cars with which it is starting the service. Well, now the first VinFast Limo Green electric MPV taxi of Green SM has been spotted driving on public roads.
In the image shared online, we can note the VinFast Green SM’s Limo Green electric MPV on Gurgaon road with a green and yellow number plate. This number plate is specifically for electric taxis, and what we can also note is that the taxi versions of the VinFast VF MPV 7, which is called the Limo Green, has a slightly different logo than the standard “V” logo that is seen on the normal cars.
Recently, we reported that Green SM, which as mentioned is the name of the company which handles Vingroup’s taxi business in India and other South East Asian countries, has recently started hiring drivers in India. What makes this driver job hiring more unique is that the company is offering Rs 35,000 to Rs 40,000 salary, which is a decent amount of salary.
It has been reported that the company is currently hiring 10,000 drivers as it is planning to launch Green SM with 10,000 cars. These cars will be a mix of Limo Green electric MPVs and the smaller VF5 compact EV SUVs, which will be launched soon. Currently, the Limo Green electric MPV taxis have started rolling out, and people are now seen using them.
Apart from these 10,000 electric cars, Green SM will also be launching 1,00,000 units of the electric motorcycles in India. Most likely, these electric motorcycles will challenge the bike taxi aggregators such as Rapido, Ola, and Uber bike taxi services. Currently, the demand for taxis in major cities has increased, especially in North India where the company has started its operation.
Green SM’s main office is located in Gurugram, Haryana. The company has been launched with an authorised capital of Rs 254 crore. Most likely, it has not included the cost of the 10,000 electric cars and 1,00,000 electric motorcycles in the capital investment, as these vehicles could be directly leased by VinFast.
As stated, the vehicle seen in the image above is the VinFast Limo Green. It is the commercial version of the recently launched VinFast VF MPV 7 electric MPV. This version is slightly less premium than the VF MPV 7 and offers a less luxurious cabin. On the outside, the overall body shape, design, and other elements are similar, but it gets steel wheels with wheel covers instead of alloy wheels.
Also, on the inside, it comes equipped with a fully blacked-out fabric upholstery interior to make sure it is easier to clean and maintain. As part of the features list, it still gets a central freestanding 10.1-inch touchscreen infotainment system. It also gets wireless Android Auto and Apple CarPlay, four speakers, and automatic climate control.
VinFast is also offering the Limo Green electric MPV with the same powertrain as the VF MPV 7. This includes the same 60.13 kWh battery pack, which offers an ARAI-certified range of 517 km. As for the electric motor, it gets a front-wheel-drive motor which makes 201 bhp and 280 Nm of torque. It can reach a top speed of 140 kmph.
It has to be noted that currently, Green SM has only started its taxi operations in Delhi NCR. The company will expand its operations soon. However, at the moment, interested users can download the Green SM application on their smartphone and create an account similar to Ola and Uber, and then order cab service from the app.