Ride-hailing service GSM, local dealers to deploy 18,497 EV Vehicles in Philippines

GSM Green and Smart Mobility JSC (GSM), a ride-hailing service founded by chairman Pham Nhat Vuong of Vietnam’s top conglomerate Vingroup, and 75 transport companies and cooperatives in the Philippines will join hands to deploy up to 18,497 VinFast electric vehicles (EV) for passenger transport operations. GSM and partners have signed memoranda of understanding and deposit agreements for the move, GSM said in a statement last Friday. GSM is known for exclusively utilizing EVs of VinFast, a brand established by Vingroup. The agreements cover operators across Metro Manila, Cebu, Davao, Iloilo, Cagayan de Oro, Cavite, Pampanga, Bacolod, Batangas, Baguio, and Ozamiz. The deployment is expected to include VinFast VF 5/Herio Green and Limo Green models through a mix of direct investment and long-term leasing arrangements. The development is part of GSM’s expansion strategy in the Philippines through a partnership model combining the company’s operating platform with locally managed fleet operations and driver networks. The structure can maintain standardized service operations while adapting to local market conditions, GSM noted. The Philippines is a key market in GSM’s broader Southeast Asia expansion plans. The latest agreements follow an earlier deployment of 2,500 vehicles in partnership with Xentro Group. Nguyen Van Thanh, CEO of GSM, said the electrification of transportation is already underway in major urban centers and Southeast Asia remains an active region for the transition. GSM’s partnership model can support expansion while adapting to local market conditions, the executive highlighted. The partners are set to finalize vehicle orders and begin phased operations throughout 2026. Vingroup chair Pham Nhat Vuong’s wife becomes chair of Vingroup-linked ride-hailing firm