Green SM debuts VinFast EV taxi service in Copenhagen
SkimNews Take
Green SM functions as a captive demand pipeline for VinFast, letting the automaker sidestep the cold-start problem of selling unknown EVs in Europe by essentially becoming its own launch customer.
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- Green SM made its European debut in Copenhagen with a company-owned fleet of VinFast VF 6 and VF 8 electric SUVs, its first city outside Asia
- The Vingroup-backed operator already runs taxi services in Vietnam, Laos, Indonesia, the Philippines, and India
- VinFast supplies the VF 6 and VF 8 SUVs that make up Green SM's Danish fleet
- Unlike ride-hailing platforms such as Uber, Green SM owns its vehicles and directly employs its drivers, who undergo training in road safety, customer service, operating procedures, and EV use before picking up passengers
- Riders book and pay through Green SM's app, which displays the fare before trip confirmation, and new customers can claim five vouchers for 25% off (max 100 Danish kroner / ~$16 per ride) through September 30
- Europe CEO Richard Nabil Chahine called Copenhagen a city that "shapes the future of mobility" and said Green SM's ambition is to become a "trusted mobility partner" in Europe
- Green SM hasn't named its next European city, saying it will first focus on meeting Danish regulations, establishing its local operation, and adjusting the service based on feedback
Why it matters: Copenhagen becomes a real-world test of whether Green SM's company-owned, driver-employed EV taxi model — proven across five Asian markets — can clear European regulatory and competitive standards. A successful pilot opens a European foothold for Vingroup's mobility arm and puts VinFast vehicles on European roads; a quiet next-city announcement will signal whether expansion scales or stalls.
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