Taxi companies anticipate electric cars to save billions of dong.

“Company profits increase by 10% compared to the period using gasoline”

Starting the deployment of electric taxi services from October 2023, Taxi Xanh Sapa (Thanh Thuy MTV Company) has received positive feedback from customers, both local residents and domestic and international tourists. Most customers are satisfied with this new form of transportation thanks to its smoke-free, noise-free nature, and especially its environmentally friendly electric vehicles. From the perspective of drivers, the use of electric vehicles, which does not cause noise or smoke, will create a safe working environment and reduce the risk of respiratory diseases.

The fleet of electric vehicles from Taxi Xanh Sapa.

Taxi Xanh Sapa is one of 27 passenger transport companies in Vietnam pioneering the green transformation with GSM and VinFast. According to these companies, having electric vehicles helps diversify their service offerings, build a positive image among customers, partners, and the community, thereby increasing their ability to attract customers and gain a competitive advantage over traditional taxi companies.

Lado is one of the early brands to switch to electric cars.

Especially, although newly deployed, electric taxis have proved to be significantly more profitable than gasoline taxis due to fuel and operating cost savings. “Electric vehicles are far more advantageous, increasing company profits by 10% compared to the period using gasoline,” said Nguyen Quang Thanh, Director of Thanh Thuy MTV Company, representing Taxi Xanh Sapa.

In addition, Lado Taxi, the first unit to launch a fleet of VinFast electric vehicles in May 2022, affirms that in addition to cost savings, electric cars also demonstrate durability, a factor that transport businesses prioritize. “After two years of operation, apart from replacing consumables such as tires and coolant, electric vehicles hardly require any repairs, helping the company save 5-7% of maintenance and repair costs compared to using gasoline vehicles,” admitted Nguyen Ngoc Dong, General Director of Dong Thuy Co., representing Lado Taxi.

Similarly, Ecogo’s eTaxi service, another partner company of GSM and VinFast, has shown high economic efficiency after six months of deployment in Dak Lak. Le Thai Khac Thanh, Deputy General Director of Ecogo, said the company estimates that it will save about 2.5 billion VND in fuel costs over the next five years. In addition, electric vehicles are easy to maintain and have higher durability, optimizing maintenance and repair costs by about 1.5 billion VND. “In total, using electric vehicles helps the company save about 4 billion VND over five years. This is a considerable figure that contributes to reducing operating costs and generating higher profits,” affirmed Thanh.

“Rising trend of “switching from gasoline to electric” taxis

In addition to economic benefits, the electrification of taxi fleets and the gradual elimination of internal combustion engine cars also reflects the commitment of businesses to the environment and sustainable development. After experiencing effective operation, many companies now plan to invest heavily in electric vehicles and even stop investing in gasoline vehicles.

GSM’s newest partner is Son Nam International Transport Company (MaiLove Taxi, well-known in Nghe An), which recently decided to terminate the contract to purchase gasoline vehicles from the Japanese Toyota brand and switch to electric taxi services. According to Ho Chuong, CEO of Son Nam Company, realizing that investing in green vehicles is essential for the development of public transport businesses, Son Nam has added a fleet of 305 VinFast electric vehicles, rented from GSM, in addition to their existing gasoline fleet.

Son Nam Company cancels the gasoline vehicle contract to switch to VinFast electric cars.

“We hope that in the near future, we can gradually replace the entire fleet with electric taxis to bring benefits to the community. Our cooperation with GSM is a long-term and sustainable strategy, as well as the door for Son Nam Company to integrate and develop with the common trend worldwide,” said Ho Chuong.

This is also the goal of many taxi companies when they realize the significant economic benefits of operating electric service vehicles. According to Taxi Xanh Sapa, the company plans to gradually liquidate its gasoline vehicles while investing in more electric cars, with the goal of replacing the current gasoline fleet with 100% electric vehicles by 2023 and 2024. Lado Taxi also aims to replace 90% of its vehicles with electric cars, as “the direct benefits in terms of cost, brand value, and customer experience will give the company more advantages”, according to Nguyen Ngoc Dong, the company’s representative.

Xanh SM has appeared in many provinces, cities, and expanded internationally with quality services according to 5-star standards.

Currently, in addition to the Xanh SM taxi brand operated by GSM, there are 27 companies and partner units collaborating in the electric vehicle transformation with VinFast and GSM, bringing the total number of electric taxis nationwide to over 20,000. This cooperative process, along with the green conversion trend, is aligned with the Government’s commitment to reducing net emissions and transforming the urban transportation landscape nationwide. According to this commitment, all new taxis put into service from 2030 must run on electricity. “The trend towards electric vehicles is inevitable as the Government’s environmental commitments need to be realized. More and more businesses participating in the green transformation also show that they have seen the benefits of operating electric vehicles,” said Nguyen Ngoc Dong.

Anh Quan (forum.autodaily.vn)