Vehicles for emerging countries Helixx, a McDonald’s-style franchise

The approach of the British startup Helixx to the market of electric utility vehicles for the transport of goods and people in emerging countries is truly unusual. To meet the needs of rapidly expanding markets – above all those of Asia-Pacific and Africa – the company founded and led by Steve Pegg adds to the care in the design, calibrated to remain affordable and above all consistent with the assistance and on-site repair, a new industrial and commercial format.

Inspired by the McDonald’s chain, Pegg has in fact designed a franchise with which to involve Asian and African entrepreneurs, to start the assembly of vehicles directly on site. “Looking at McDonald’s methodology, we aim to get customers to fund or part-fund or downsize for us,” says Helixx co-founder and CEO. “We own the technology. We own the vehicle. We own the supply chain, just like McDonald’s. .

But we want to make sure that clients build content at a volume they feel comfortable with.” Helixx will also supply supply chains. “You don’t need to know how to build a vehicle. You don’t need to know how to find. All you have to do is follow a process and the company is here to help you do that.” Licenses will be given for four models, a cargo van called Cargo, a construction and agriculture van and two passenger variants including taxis and ride-sharing. They were called Tuk (it has an open body) and Ride (in this case the body is closed). All vehicles are based on a proprietary light vehicle platform. Allows for interchangeable batteries with LFP cells. Each module will have a capacity of 2 kWh. The maximum configuration with 12 kWh allows a range of 200 kilometres. Since these are L7e vehicles, the power must be limited to 15 kW and the weight to 450 kg, a value that rises to 600 kg for goods transport vehicles.