Vinfast EV Taxis Now in Manila — Exclusive Updates

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Last Updated on: 10th June 2025, 10:54 am

EDITOR’S NOTE: This article was thoroughly updated on Tuesday, June 10, 2024, at 10:53 am EST (10:53 pm Philippine time) after CleanTechnica attended the official launch of the Green GSM taxis. Updates include new photos added by the author to reflect scenes from the event itself, comments from associated company executives and representatives, and other new details gathered at the event. The update includes the clarification of the “Nerio Green” as the “for public transportation” variant of the VF e34.

Vietnamese transportation company Green & Smart Mobility (GSM) has just debuted its fleet of VinFast Nerio Green taxis in the Philippines. The local transport company is called Green GSM, which is also the name of the app that’s used to book its services. It officially released the fleet of taxis and drivers this morning at the historic Quezon Memorial Circle.

The country is the fourth in Southeast Asia to receive the electric taxis after Vietnam, Laos, and Indonesia.

GSM is called Xanh SM in Vietnam, and is a private enterprise founded by the CEO of VinFast and Chairman of VinGroup, Pham Nhat Vuong, Vietnam’s wealthiest billionaire.

Though there are many cabs and ride-hailing services like Grab (the local version of Uber), traditional private taxi services in the Philippines are plagued by old, unsafe, and inefficient cars. The real problem is the franchising and compensation system that produces discourteous and corrupt drivers, who contract fares instead of using taxi meters.

Green GSM hopes to change this bad reputation with its fleet of EVs, trained drivers, and an app so the service is available both by booking and on the street.

Green Ambassadors

To fix the issue of discourtesy, drivers are given full-time positions with fixed salaries and incentives instead of daily “on-call” contracts and “boundaries” (an unfair system of paying drivers based on a percentage of total fare collections). It will also offer an Uber-style partnership model for those who own their electric vehicles.

In Vietnam, GSM drivers are called “green ambassadors.” According to executives at the company, they are developing a “deep sense of pride and purpose that extends beyond simply earning a living, and actively shaping a modernized transportation landscape and delivering eco-friendly, refined, and high-quality services to customers.”

“I am happy to be part of the GSM company,” says Ronaldo R., one of the first 100 drivers to be part of the transportation network. “We received intense driver and safety training and a good system to incentivize good driving and courtesy. We know that we can make a difference for the riding public.”

Green GSM also chose to partner with R&E Taxi, Manila’s largest taxi service company. It is at the huge R&E compound in the North of Manila where GSM has over 30 charging stations, parking, and servicing for the EV fleet, as well as driver’s quarters. Taxis are dispatched from this central station in Caloocan City, about 12 kilometers from the capital city of Manila.

For now, Green GSM will service fares around Metro Manila and the nearby provinces of Laguna and Bulacan, about 20 to 30 kilometers radius from its central depot.

Car of Choice — VF e34

GSM chose the VinFast Nerio Green, which is basically a re-engineered VF e34, a battery-electric compact crossover SUV, as its main transporter.

“Technically it is the same vehicle, but specifications are more suited for public transportation purposes. The VF e34’s features remain to be for private customers,” a CleanTechnica source at the launch said.

The 41.9 kWh lithium-ion battery powers a single electric motor. Power is rated at 110 kW (147 hp) and torque at 242 Nm. On a full charge, the claimed range is 197 miles (318 km). This is good enough to cover the streets of Manila for up to 10 hours of nonstop driving. GSM will provide DC fast charging capable of bringing the battery from 10% to 70% in about 27 minutes. Though, it is not yet clear if there are charging stations outside of its main garage.

The GSM taxi measures 4,300 mm in length, 1,768 mm in width, and 1,615 mm in height, with a wheelbase of 2,610 mm — is ample room for five passengers and is almost the same dimensions as the many Toyota Vios and Mitsubishi Mirage in Manila streets.

For cabin safety, the Nerio Green comes with 6 airbags (front, front sides, and curtain). Standard driving safety features include ABS with EBD and vehicle stability control.

Secure via AI

Another key differentiator for the GSM fleet is the S2S (Secure to Safe) active monitoring system. Each taxi is equipped with surveillance cameras monitoring the interior and exterior. This uses the same 360-degree surround-view monitoring system, rear cross-traffic alert, and blind-spot detection already built into the VF e34.

In Vietnam, Indonesia, and Laos, the system automatically heightens its threat and road crash detection during high-risk hours from 10:00 PM to 6:00 AM. In case of an emergency, accessible emergency buttons are available for both drivers and passengers to instantly alert the company’s central operations center.

The proactive AI-powered analysis systems is a product of another VinGroup company, VinAI. The smart sensors monitor trips in real-time for anomalies like unusual route deviations or signs of distress. If the AI detects a potential threat or an emergency button is pressed, it immediately flags a dedicated 24/7 monitoring team.

According to GSM officials in the Philippines, this system is already in place. And to ensure compliance to Philippine data privacy laws, all camera footage is encrypted and automatically deleted after 48 hours unless required for an official investigation.

In the future, GSM will also deploy a fleet of VinFast VF 5 as premium taxis throughout all its market. This is according to CleanTechnica sources inside VinGroup, parent company of VinFast.