This “manufacturing unit in a field” plans to spice up the manufacturing of low cost electrical automobiles worldwide

Helixx has a unique vision of urban mobility. The British startup has developed a range of affordable electric vehicles. The company also developed a manufacturing system for the electric vehicles. But Helixx has no plans to actually build the cars. Instead, it wants Helixx customers to build them.

At first glance, this may seem like a lazy strategy. But the pitch has an interesting foundation: a “factory in a box” that customers are using to produce affordable electric vehicles almost anywhere in the world.

The project promises quick results. According to Helixx, the system can take a local company from an empty building to finished vehicles in just 180 days.

The Helixx concept transfers the McDonald’s franchise model to vehicle production.

The tickets are officially sold out

However, there may still be some last minute spots available

The digital production ecosystem is powered Businesses, entrepreneurs and local governments as a manufacturing permit. The licensees then become official vehicle manufacturers.

“This eliminates the need to know how to make vehicles.

At the beginning of the process, Helixx designs the factories – so-called mobility hubs – according to the market requirements, space allocations and budgets of the customer. The software platform then aggregates the required resources, including architecture support, digital operations platform, processes and training.

Helixx also provides the infrastructure, equipment, robotics and IT systems. All of this will be installed and operational in the startup’s cloud within six months – ready for the assembly of the hub.

Once a hub is operational, it becomes fully integrated into the Helixx ecosystem. An app then manages the entire end-to-end process, from customer ordering to component sourcing and delivery.

Because the entire process takes place in a single environment, customers eliminate the cost and complexity of developing vehicles and manufacturing systems. Steve Pegg, the CEO of Helixx, said this approach democratizes the production of electric vehicles.

“The goal is to eliminate the need for it helix Licensees need to know how to make vehicles as it’s all managed by the intelligent technology platform,” Pegg told TNW. “As the platform matures, so does the product portfolio helix We will add more vehicles in the future.”

Helixx co-founder Steve Pegg and the company’s four vehicles (top to bottom: the open TUK, the TRUCK pickup, the closed RIDE and the CARGO van). Photo credit: Helixx

With the system, Helixx is targeting densely populated regions in emerging countries. According to the UN, two-thirds of the world’s population could live in urban centers by 2050 – a total of 6.6 billion people. Many of them will live in megacities in developing countries.

Helixx is betting that they will switch to small, affordable and zero-emission vehicles. When built locally within a circular production ecosystem, costs can be reduced, sustainability improved and new economic opportunities opened up.

“The world’s densest cities will struggle to build robust infrastructure to meet volume demand,” Pegg said. “Most of the total cost of consumer vehicles and electric vehicles we see today is outside of the price range.

“The Helixx vehicles address all the sensitive points in the implementation of electric vehicles in work fleets by offering them as a pure subscription – not leased or financed disguised as a subscription – and by using small battery swapping services.”

The vehicles are priced from $0.25 per hour. Operators can also subsidize revenue streams through e-ink billboards and data-as-a-service models

The open-body TUK is designed for ride-hailing. The vehicle carries four passengers with a top speed of 80 km/h and an electric range of 70 miles. Photo credit: Helixx

Helixx is committed to providing comprehensive support to its customers.

To optimize operations at each hub, all data is monitored in real time at Helixx Mission Control in the UK. Emerging efficiency trends can be shared with other partners. Since everything is part of the Helixx ecosystem, hubs can also trade with each other.

Further increases in efficiency are driven by automation. When components need to be upgraded, AI programs automatically initiate maintenance or replacement within the digital supply chain.

Helixx has also integrated the Siemens Xcelerator. The software suite can create a digital twin for any element of the manufacturing ecosystem. This allows each phase of the process, from site inspection to manufacturing to vehicle recycling, to be modeled and validated prior to deployment.

Teruyoshi Adachi, Helixx’s CTO, said the software will weave “digital threads through the entire fabric” of the company’s business model. He estimates that the cost and complexity of the entire chain of operations has already been reduced by 20%.

The CARGO van is designed to serve the booming demand for last-mile delivery fleets. It has 2100 liters of loading space and can transport most ISO pallets. Photo credit: Helixx

Helixx has yet to prove that the digital ecosystem works in the physical world. The Concept Hub has already been successfully tested at Helixx’s Oxfordshire headquarters – the world’s largest motorsport hub. The startup is currently setting up pilot centers in the UK and Singapore.

If that works, Helixx will be one step closer to its ultimate goal: creating a whole new transport segment.