Helixx unveil first demonstration vehicle from universal model

Helixx has unveiled its first demonstrator vehicle - a commercial delivery van - to showcase the results of their digital manufacturing system for the first time. The van is designed for ease of assembly and optimum interior load space, considering the needs of manufacturers and fleet operators.

To minimise complexity, the body system has been designed around a specific set of rules to enable ease of replication. The vehicle’s body is comprised of just five key structural, 3D-printed components, which all ‘click and bond’ together for easy assembly.

This is said to simplify the manufacturing process by up to 50 per cent, compared to the conventional process of welding stamped body panels, with greater mass and hundreds more individual components.

Built around a hybrid aluminium chassis, the Helixx delivery van is 3.2m long and 1.5m wide, with a 2,100-litre capacity and a 500kg maximum payload. It has a 110cm rear door width and 140cm load bay length, allowing it to carry most global shipping pallets. A single-seater layout and central driving position optimises load space, and is also compatible with left and right-hand-drive markets.

Due to the ease of construction and simple design, the vehicle can be produced in Helixx Mobility Hubs and ran by local businesses virtually anywhere in the world, in 180 days from initial site survey to vehicle rollouts.

In a statement, co-founder and CEO of Helixx, Steve Pegg, said: “We deprogrammed our mindset away from conventional design principles to challenge the complexities of legacy manufacturing systems. We developed this demonstration vehicle to prove and stress-test the global replicability of our digital-first approach.”

Helixx’s manufacturing model is built around the premise that partners do not need to know how to build a factory to build vehicles: this is the 'Factory in a Box'. License holders provide the physical space, Helixx provides the complete factory commission including equipment, machinery, and technologies. All the systems are connected to the Helixx digital platform to manage the end-to-end process from Helixx Mission Control. The supply chain is provided and managed through the digital platform, forming a marketplace where up to 80 per cent of the vehicle components can be sourced as locally as possible.

Customers, from fleet managers to freelance drivers, will take subscriptions on the Helixx system - this can be anything from a hourly usage for $0.25, or a three year package – which also means that vehicles are only produced to demand.

The demonstrator vehicle is now subject to in-market feedback, before the company starts a production run of 100 vehicles at its pilot hub in the UK, ahead of customer vehicle and factory rollout starting at a concept hub in Southeast Asia.