Vietnamese tourists amazed by “Incredibly Cheap and Green SM Laos”, how is Mr. Vượng’s transportation company doing in Laos?

Recently, Nga, a tourist from Hanoi traveling in Laos, shared: “I was able to call Xanh SM Laos, it was very convenient and especially cheaper compared to calling a taxi in Laos“.

Not only Nga, but since its presence in Laos, Xanh SM, a Vietnamese taxi company, has brought many impressive experiences in terms of both price and quality of service for customers.

Is Xanh SM fares really cheap in Laos?

On the Xanh SM website, the opening fare is 20,000 dong, the fare from km 2 – 12 is 15,500 dong (for VF e34 and VF 5 electric cars of VinFast). As for the VF 8 electric car, the opening fare (first km) is 21,000 dong, and the fare from km 2 – 25 is also 21,000 dong.

Meanwhile, according to information from Xanh SM Laos, the opening fare is 15,800 Kip (Lao currency), equivalent to 18,685 dong. From 1 km onwards, the fare of Xanh SM electric taxi in Laos is only 10,494 Kip, equivalent to 12,410 dong. This means that the fare for traveling by Xanh SM taxi in Laos is cheaper than in Vietnam.

So, compared to taxi fares in Laos, is Xanh SM cheaper?

According to Go by taxi, the taxi fare in Laos is 1.5 USD per km (about 37,000 dong). This number is much more expensive than the fare of Xanh SM electric taxis. Moreover, thanks to the advantages of VinFast electric cars with no emissions and no noise, Xanh SM Laos has left a good impression on the people of Laos.

According to the LOCA online taxi booking service in Laos, the transportation fee on a small taxi is priced from 7,000 Kip/km (equivalent to 8,278 dong). This is a competitive price with Xanh SM. However, with many advantages in terms of vehicle quality, services, speed, etc., Xanh SM is becoming familiar and chosen by many local people and tourists.

Xanh SM potential market

GSM, the operator of Xanh SM, officially launched the first electric taxi service in Laos on November 9, 2023. Xanh SM Laos uses the VinFast VF 5 Plus model, painted in green-blue color and operates in the capital Vientiane. People in Vientiane and international tourists can easily book Xanh SM taxis through the Xanh SM Laos application on the App Store and Play Store or directly rent a car on the street. According to a representative of Xanh SM, in the first month of operation, the electric car company from Vietnam attracted more than 200,000 app downloads in Laos.

Most recently, on March 1, Xanh SM Laos officially expanded its electric taxi service to the province of Savannakhet, Laos. Accordingly, local residents and tourists visiting Savannakhet province can use the electric transportation service. Customers can easily book a car through the Xanh SM Laos application, contact the hotline, or wave the car directly on the street. Information on routes and fares will be publicly available on each trip.

In the immediate future, Xanh SM Laos will deploy a fleet of 100 VinFast VF 5 Plus cars operating in Savannakhet province. According to GSM, choosing Savannakhet province to expand services is part of Xanh SM Laos’ plan to develop electric taxi services. Moreover, this will also contribute to popularizing green transportation solutions to the local people and international tourists.

In the coming time, Xanh SM Laos will deploy electric taxis to other provinces and cities in Laos such as Luang Prabang, Champasak…

The Laos market has a large potential for development. Moreover, according to some media channels in Laos, GSM has chosen the golden time to enter Laos. Because to reduce dependence on fossil fuels, the Lao Government has set a target by 2025 for electric vehicles to account for at least 1% of total vehicles and at least 30% by 2030.

When Xanh SM Laos was launched, a representative from GSM said, this company expects Xanh SM taxi to create a revolution in transportation in Laos. This is also the first international market of Xanh SM and from here, it will create favorable conditions for this electric taxi company to expand globally.