VinFast owner sets up EV rental service GSM
Vingroup Chairman Pham Nhat Vuong wants to promote green mobility by using VinFast electric cars and scooters for rental services. He founded the Green and Smart Mobility Joint Stock Company (GSM) in Vietnam. A company in which he holds a 95 per cent stake.
The idea: GSM will offer electric car rental services for traditional and online taxi service providers and their employees. The company will use VinFast vehicles only, initially offering a fleet of about 10,000 electric cars and 100,000 electric scooters.
GSM will also offer its own all-electric taxi service in Vietnam, the first in the country. The latter will hit the streets of Hanoi next month and expand across the country throughout the year.
“GSM was established to further the development of the green and smart mobility ecosystem in Vietnam, providing people with more options to use electric vehicles at reasonable pricing,” says GSM CEO Hguyen Van Thanh. “Whether it is just a few dozen minutes in a taxi or a few weeks or months of renting, customers will have the opportunity to experience the smart features and convenience of electric vehicles. In this way, we can accelerate the smart electric vehicle revolution faster and stronger in Vietnam.”
While the statement does not specify the type of vehicle, pictures show the Vinfast VF8. The company reportedly launched the electric SUV in Vietnam in autumn of 2022 and planned deliveries in markets such as Europe and the US to follow suit, opening showrooms in the USA in July of that year. Electric scooters could also be exported. However, there have been delays in vehicle delivery due to software updates, with first cars being handed over to US customers only in March.
At the same time, Vinfast initially designed the VF8 with a battery-leasing model, which could make it an ideal solution for taxi services, as outlined in today’s news.
The company adds that GSM “seeks to promote EVs and create awareness about their convenience, intelligence, and sustainability” by offering test drives, for example, and “opportunities to enjoy smart technology features and amenities in vehicles” when using rental services.
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