VinFast Bets on Entrepreneurs with “Rentapasada” Program in the Philippines

This one is about the Philippines, not U.S. home upgrades, so there's no rebate or program to check here at home. Still, it's a notable move in electric vehicles worth knowing about.

VinFast, the Vietnamese automaker, has expanded a program called Rentapasada in the Philippines that lets people become ride-hailing drivers using an electric vehicle without buying one outright. Instead of a loan or big down payment, drivers pay about P1,000 a day (under $20) and start earning right away. The program covers registration, insurance, and maintenance, and connects drivers to VinFast's own ride-hailing platform, Green GSM, so they don't have to hunt for customers. Two vehicles are offered: the compact VF 5 for city driving and the larger seven-seat Limo Green for airport runs and group trips. Drivers who hit performance targets can get free charging at VinFast's charging stations for more than three years, and those who finish their contracts may eventually buy the same car they've been driving, with their deposit counted toward the price.

The bigger idea is that VinFast is trying to get more electric vehicles on the road by targeting commercial drivers, who rack up high mileage and save the most on fuel and upkeep, rather than waiting for individual buyers to adopt EVs on their own. It's the same model VinFast has already built out in Vietnam. For a U.S. homeowner, there's no direct action here, but it's a sign of how automakers are experimenting with ownership models to get more electric vehicles into daily use worldwide.