Rivian and Volkswagen Group Technologies (also known as RV Tech) is an automotive technology company jointly owned by

Rivian Rivian Automotive, Inc., is an American electric vehicle manufacturer and automotive technology company founded in 2009. Rivian produces an electric sport utility vehicle (SUV), a pickup truck on a Skateboard (automotive platform), "skateboard" ...

and

Volkswagen Group Volkswagen AG (), known internationally as the Volkswagen Group, is a German public multinational conglomerate manufacturer of passenger and commercial vehicles, motorcycles, engines and turbomachinery. Headquartered in Wolfsburg, Lower Saxon ...

. The company was established in 2024 as a

joint venture A joint venture (JV) is a business entity created by two or more parties, generally characterized by shared ownership, shared returns and risks, and shared governance. Companies typically pursue joint ventures for one of four reasons: to acce ...

with the goal of advancing the capabilities of software-defined vehicles. Rivian VW Group Technology focuses on developing scalable technology platforms that can be applied across a range of vehicle segments. Its primary areas of focus include operating systems, zonal controllers, and cloud connectivity solutions. The partnership was aimed to reduce production costs and enhance competitiveness in the EV market by combining Rivian’s software expertise with Volkswagen’s manufacturing experience.

Operations

Rivian VW Group Technology, LLC is headquartered in

Palo Alto Palo Alto ( ; Spanish language, Spanish for ) is a charter city in northwestern Santa Clara County, California, United States, in the San Francisco Bay Area, named after a Sequoia sempervirens, coastal redwood tree known as El Palo Alto. Th ...

, with additional development sites planned across

North America North America is a continent in the Northern Hemisphere, Northern and Western Hemisphere, Western hemispheres. North America is bordered to the north by the Arctic Ocean, to the east by the Atlantic Ocean, to the southeast by South Ameri ...

and

Europe Europe is a continent located entirely in the Northern Hemisphere and mostly in the Eastern Hemisphere. It is bordered by the Arctic Ocean to the north, the Atlantic Ocean to the west, the Mediterranean Sea to the south, and Asia to the east ...

. The joint venture is owned equally by

and

and is co-led by Rivian’s Chief Software Officer, Wassym Bensaid, and Volkswagen Group’s Chief Technology Officer, Carsten Helbing. Volkswagen has committed up to US$5.8 billion to the venture, including an initial US$1 billion loan, US$1.3 billion in equity investment, and up to US$3.5 billion in milestone-based funding through 2026. The venture has demonstrated its operational efficiency by integrating Rivian’s zonal hardware and software into a Volkswagen test vehicle within twelve weeks of formation.

Technology

The joint venture focuses on the development of scalable software-defined vehicle (SDV) platforms. A central component of the technology is Rivian’s zonal architecture, which reduces the number of electronic control units and simplifies vehicle wiring, resulting in lower costs and improved system reliability. The SDV platform aims to support over-the-air software updates and cloud connectivity, offering a unified technology base for multiple vehicle brands and segments.

Future products

Volkswagen Volkswagen (VW; )English: , . is a German automotive industry, automobile manufacturer based in Wolfsburg, Lower Saxony, Germany. Established in 1937 by German Labour Front, The German Labour Front, it was revitalized into the global brand it ...

has introduced the ID EVERY1, a compact four-door hatchback projected to enter production in 2027 with a starting price of €20,000 (approximately $21,500). This vehicle will be the first to incorporate software and architecture developed through Rivian and Volkswagen Group Technologies.

plans to begin production of its R2 vehicles in 2026, leveraging the joint venture’s technology to offer more affordable EV option.

Scout Motors Scout Motors Inc. is an American automotive startup company. Founded in 2022, it is backed by German manufacturer Volkswagen Group and a member of the Volkswagen Group companies. Volkswagen AG obtained the Scout brand after acquiring American tr ...

upcoming EVs, including the Traveler SUV and Terra pickup, will use the Rivian-VW joint venture’s zonal software and electronics architecture starting in 2027 to simplify vehicle systems and improve efficiency. Rivian’s Chief Software Officer, Wassym Bensaid, noted that several other automakers have expressed interest in this technology, though specific names and details of these discussions remain undisclosed.

References

{{Reflist American companies established in 2024 Development software companies Companies based in Palo Alto, California 2024 establishments in California Software companies established in 2024 Software companies based in the San Francisco Bay Area Volkswagen Group Rivian Automotive software Multinational joint-venture companies

Operations

Technology

Future products

See also

References