Green SM's Delhi-NCR EV Taxi Launch Hits Driver Revolt In Week One
VinFast-backed Green SM, the all-electric taxi service that launched in Delhi-NCR earlier this month with a Limo Green fleet and a no-surge promise, is already facing driver pushback. A viral video with over nine lakh views shows drivers airing grievances, with delayed payments at the top of the list.
What was announced
Green SM, the VinFast-backed ride-hailing service, launched its all-electric taxi operations in the Delhi-NCR region earlier this month, with a phased rollout to other Indian cities planned over the coming quarters. The fleet is built around the VinFast Limo Green, an EV sedan developed specifically for commercial taxi duty. The service was pitched as a cleaner, more professional alternative to incumbents Ola and Uber.
Green SM sold commuters on professional drivers in clean EVs. Drivers filming complaint videos in week one is not the launch script anyone wanted.
The differentiators announced at launch were straightforward. Green SM committed to a fully electric fleet, no surge pricing, and no time-based peak-hour charges for commuters. For drivers, the company promised a steady monthly income structure rather than the per-ride model used by competitors, alongside training and uniform standards aimed at a more consistent passenger experience.
Within days of operations starting, a video began circulating on social media showing a group of Green SM drivers airing grievances against the company. The clip has crossed nine lakh views. The most prominent complaint is delayed payments, with drivers stating that promised earnings have not been disbursed on schedule. Other operational issues were raised in the same video, though Green SM has not yet issued a public response or clarified whether the complaints are limited to a specific batch of drivers or reflect a wider rollout problem. The scale of the dispute, and whether it spreads beyond the viral clip, will determine how the next phase of the city expansion lands.
The Car Jury verdict
A driver revolt in the first fortnight is not a teething issue, it is a credibility problem. Green SM's entire pitch to commuters rests on professional drivers in clean EVs, with no surge gouging. That pitch falls apart the moment drivers start filming complaint videos that pull nine lakh views. Ola and Uber spent years earning their reputation for driver friction; Green SM has managed it in days.
The launch playbook itself looks underbaked. As Faisal Khan of FasBeam has noted in a separate context, some problems trace back to things "not thought about when designing" the product. That fits here. If you are a Delhi-NCR commuter curious about the Limo Green cabs, the rides themselves are fine. But the operator needs to sort driver payouts fast, before the no-surge novelty wears off and the goodwill with it.
