Green GSM Electric Taxis Are Now a Common Sight in Davao City

Quick Answer

Green GSM brought 500 electric taxis to Davao City in October 2025, but a permit dispute kept most of them off the road for months. They have become far more visible since June, following a nationwide expansion the company announced in May.

How did Green GSM taxis get to Davao City?

Green GSM is operated by Green and Smart Mobility Philippines Inc, a company tied to Vingroup, Vietnam's largest conglomerate and the parent of automaker VinFast. The taxis are electric cars assembled by VinFast in Vietnam. The original Davao fleet uses the Nerio Green, built on the VF e34 platform, a battery electric compact crossover SUV.

The service opened in the Philippines in June 2025 with a launch in Quezon City, then moved south from there. Five hundred units arrived at the Davao port in October 2025, and the company held a formal launch on December 15 at Sasa, with Land Transportation Franchising and Regulatory Board officials in attendance.

A number that sometimes circulates locally, rounded up to three thousand units, does not match what news reports or the company's own statements describe. The confirmed figure was 500 vehicles.

Is Green GSM legal in Davao City?

Its legal status has been disputed since the launch. A day after the December event, the Davao City government ordered the company's depot at JFM Sasa Property closed. The city said Green GSM had not secured a business permit, a locational clearance, or a building permit, and that it lacked the required endorsement from the City Transport and Traffic Management Board and the city council, both required under the city's transport ordinance.

The service also needed a Certificate of Public Convenience from the regulatory board before it could legally carry paying passengers, and that application drew opposition from local taxi operators, pushing the matter to the board's central office for resolution. As late as February 2026, city officials were still describing the operation as unauthorized. Recent reports have not confirmed whether every requirement has since been cleared.

This explains the mass hiring posts that circulated on Facebook around the same period. They were real, but they went out while the company's right to operate on Davao roads was still being disputed, which is likely why the service seemed to stall after such a prominent launch.

Did Green GSM operate in Cebu before Davao?

Yes. Green GSM applied for 600 units in Metro Cebu under a regulatory board memorandum in November 2025 and was granted a 90 day probationary authority that same month. Its planned December 19 launch was suspended after local taxi operators filed opposition, but cars were already running on Cebu City roads by end of January 2026 under that temporary authority.

The Davao fleet stayed grounded over its own permit dispute for several more months after that.

Why are there more Green GSM taxis in Davao now?

In May 2026, Green GSM announced a partnership with 75 transport companies nationwide, including operators in Davao, to roll out thousands of additional electric taxis on top of an earlier deployment of 2,500 units done with another partner group. The new units include two other VinFast models, the Herio Green hatchback and the Limo Green van, both built for fleet and ride hailing use. Davao was named as one of the cities included in that phased rollout.

The timing also coincided with several months of fuel price increases that began in late February 2026, driven by the conflict that disrupted oil shipments through the Strait of Hormuz. Diesel briefly crossed 130 pesos a liter before prices began easing in May and June. Transport operators elsewhere in the country have cited those pump prices as one reason they found electric fleet partnerships more appealing during that stretch.

Is Davao City building electric vehicle charging stations?

Yes. The City Council approved the Davao City Electric Vehicle Ordinance of 2026 on May 12, authored by Councilor Temujin Ocampo. It gives tax holidays of up to six years to EV manufacturers, dealers, charging station operators, and battery recycling businesses. EV owners get free parking for the first three hours in city managed pay parking areas for the next ten years, plus a discount on vehicle registration at the Land Transportation Office.

The ordinance also creates an Electric Vehicle Monitoring Committee chaired by the city mayor, tasked with overseeing a sustainability fund meant to help pay for public charging stations and information campaigns. City councilors said Davao Light and Power Co. has assured the council that the local power grid can support the expected growth in charging demand.

Electryx, a charging station company, is already building a station in Lizada and plans more fast chargers around the city capable of charging a vehicle in 20 to 30 minutes. VinFast and BYD have both expressed interest in investing in Davao's charging network, potentially installing hundreds of stations.

How do you book a Green GSM taxi in Davao?

Through the Green GSM app, the company hotline, designated pick up points, or by flagging one down in commercial areas. New app users get a sign up bonus in Green Points, usable as a discount on early rides.

The fleet runs on VinFast electric vehicles with a manufacturer rated range of around 326 kilometers per charge. Drivers are company employees rather than boundary based operators, which sets Green GSM apart from most traditional Davao taxis.

Is Green GSM still hiring drivers in Davao?

Yes. The company runs ongoing hiring drives advertised through its app, its website, and Facebook. Applicants need to be at least 18 years old and hold a valid Philippine professional driver's license. The process includes a driving test, computer based training, and on the job training. The company advertises income potential of up to 45,000 pesos a month with social insurance coverage. Applications can be submitted online or in person at a recruitment location.

Official driver application page: https://www.greengsm.ph/en/driver-car