‘Factory In A Box’ Could Help Produce Affordable EVs Anywhere In The World

Unlike other electric vehicle automakers, British startup Helixx isn’t just building cars—it’s designing a unique manufacturing system that will allow for its affordable vehicles to be built anywhere around the world.

Dubbed a “factory in a box,” the process will enable businesses to go from an empty garage to completed vehicles for sale in just 180 days. In a way, the overarching plan is for the company to create a franchise model similar to that of fast-food chains but for cars.

The factories, known as mobility hubs, will be designed according to a customer business’ specific demands. Helixx’s software will then come up with the necessary elements, including architectural support, digital platforms, organizational processes, and even training for staff.

That’s not all. The company will provide the infrastructure, equipment, robotics, and technology systems needed for the assembly process to begin. Once started, an application will manage the entire process from start to finish, all the way to the delivery of the vehicles.

Steve Pegg, CEO of Helixx, described the mobile factory concept as a way to “democratize” EV production. He told The Next Web that the main aim was to remove the need for licensees to learn how to manufacture vehicles, as it will be managed by an “intelligent technology platform.”

In addition, the firm is setting up a “digital twin” for every element of its ecosystem with the Siemens Xcelerator. This will allow for every step of production, ranging from site survey to vehicle recycling, to be modeled and visualized before it’s created in real life.

Helixx plans to produce its first 200 prototypes in the UK by 2024 before moving to 10,000 EVs a year by 2025 at its outpost sites in Britain and Singapore. The first four EV models will comprise a delivery van, a pickup truck, a four-wheeled model of a tuk-tuk, and a motorized rickshaw.

[via The Next Web and Reuters, images via Helixx]