Vietnamese-owned, electric-based online taxi service Xanh SM officially hit the road in Jakarta, starting Wednesday, 18th December 2024. The company plans to expand into Bali after assessing the response in Jakarta.
Thanh Nguyen, Global CEO of Green and Smart Mobility Joint Stock Company, explained that one of the reasons for choosing Indonesia as an expansion destination is its large economy in Southeast Asia, combined with the government’s progressive policies to encourage the use of electric vehicles.
“Indonesia is an ideal location to continue our green expansion mission, with the government’s forward-thinking policy on adopting electric vehicles and the growing infrastructure forming the foundation for our expansion,” he said, as reported by Kompas.
Before the official launch, Xanh SM conducted a one-week free trial from 10th to 17th December, involving hundreds of taxis and transporting tens of thousands of customers.
Currently, Xanh SM operates in Jakarta, specifically in South Jakarta, Central Jakarta, and West Jakarta. “After assessing the market response, we plan to expand into Bali,” Thanh stated.
As reported by Antara, Indonesia is Xanh SM’s second overseas market after Laos. Thanh highlighted Indonesia presents a significant opportunity because of its rapid economic growth and large population.
Xanh SM aims to deploy 10,000 electric taxis across Indonesia next year. Besides Jakarta, the operation is also targeting areas such as Bali.
How to Book a Xanh SM Taxi
To use Xanh SM’s services, you must first download the Xanh SM app from the App Store or Google Play and register. Once registered, you can simply input your destination and book a taxi.
The complete steps are as follows:
- Ensure you have registered a Xanh SM account with your name, mobile number, and active email.
- On the main page, click on ‘Where are you going?’
- Specify your destination.
- On the order page, click on ‘Promotion’.
- Enter the code XANHHALO2 to receive Free Travel.
- Click ‘Order’.
Xanh SM is currently offering a promotion with a 100% discount (up to IDR 120,000 for two trips per day), subject to certain conditions. Here are the terms and conditions for this promotion:
- The promotion is valid for all features of Xanh SM taxi services.
- Users can use the promo code twice.
- The promotion does not cover additional fees (e.g., tolls, parking), which should be paid directly to the driver.
- The promotion is valid for all payment methods, except Corporate Billings & Xanh E-Card.
- The promotion is not valid when using other promo codes.
- The promotion is valid from 10th to 17th December 2024.
- The promotion applies only to South Jakarta and Central Jakarta during the trial period.
- Promo availability is limited.
Indonesian Government’s Response to Vietnamese Online Taxis
Transportation Minister Dudy Purwagandhi has shared his thoughts regarding the presence of Vietnamese taxis on Jakarta’s streets. His office will first explore the matter.
It is known that the Vietnamese taxi service Xanh SM is operated by PT XanhSM Green and Smart Mobility Indonesia, with all vehicles being electric cars produced by the Vietnamese manufacturer VinFast.
Minister Dudy has not made extensive statements about the Vietnamese online taxi service but mentioned that he plans to investigate further.
“I will try this later; I will look into it, and then I will provide an explanation if there are any updates regarding this matter,” said Dudy at the State Palace, as quoted by Liputan6.