UK-based startup Helixx has announced its partnership with Siemens, stating that it will utilize Siemens’ open digital platform to design an innovative ‘factory in a box’ for the production of smaller, affordable electric vehicles (EVs). This concept, previously embraced by the pharmaceutical sector due to disruptions in the supply chain caused by the COVID-19 pandemic, marks a groundbreaking move for the automotive industry.
Helixx plans to leverage Siemens’ ‘digital twin’ technology, available through the Siemens Xcelerator, to facilitate the design of the factory and effectively plan supply chain requirements. CEO Steve Pegg explained that Helixx aims to create a licensed factory model, referred to as a “white label” solution, which can be utilized by both established car manufacturers and new entrants in the market to produce EVs under their own branding.
While some EV startups have opted for contract manufacturers, such as Fisker’s collaboration with Magna and Foxconn, the notion of providing a factory along with “white label” EV designs to clients represents an innovative approach.
Pegg emphasized the company’s unique approach, stating, “We have reimagined the way the vehicles go together so you can get a factory producing vehicles anywhere in the world, just like a McDonald’s franchise.”
Helixx has disclosed that the initial line of EV models to be produced in these factories will include a delivery van, a pickup truck, a four-wheeled version of a tuk-tuk (known as a “Tuk”), and a passenger van, primarily targeting densely-populated Asian cities.
The startup aims to manufacture its first 200 prototypes in the United Kingdom by 2024. Furthermore, it plans to establish pilot facilities in Britain and Singapore, with a goal of producing 10,000 EVs annually by 2025.
Currently, Helixx has raised approximately £1 million ($1.3 million) in funding. Pegg estimates that the development of the prototype fleet will require an additional £3 million in funding.
