LONDON, June 19 (Reuters) - UK startup Helixx said on Monday it will use Siemens' (SIEGn.DE) open digital platform to help design a highly-automated 'factory in a box' that can be built anywhere to assemble smaller, low-cost electric vehicles (EVs), initially for large Asian cities. The 'digital twin' technology provided by the Siemens Xcelerator will help Helixx design the factory and plan supply chain requirements, Helixx and Siemens said. Some EV startups have turned to contract manufacturers, as Fisker has done with Magna and Foxconn, but the concept of providing a factory and "white label" EV designs for clients is new. "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," Pegg said. So far Helixx has raised about 1 million pounds ($1.3 million) and Pegg said building its prototype fleet will require around 3 million pounds.

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Persons: Steve Pegg, Pegg, Helixx, Nick Carey, Emelia Sithole Organizations: Siemens, Reuters, EV, Magna, Thomson Locations: United Kingdom, Britain, Singapore