One year after its inception, the Rivian and Volkswagen Group Technologies (RV Tech) joint venture is pushing forward with the development of a zonal architecture for software-defined vehicles, which will be sold in Western markets. RV Tech is preparing reference vehicles from the Volkswagen, Scout and Audi brands with the SDV architecture for winter testing early next year. The hardware and electronic architecture specifications for these reference vehicles have been defined since spring.
Among the vehicles is the Volkswagen ID.Every1. Since the summer, work with engineering prototypes has been in full swing at RV Tech’s sites in Palo Alto and Irvine in California. The series model is scheduled to launch in 2027 as the first group vehicle featuring a version of the SDV architecture.
Oliver Blume, CEO of the Volkswagen Group, said, “Our joint venture with Rivian demonstrates how we at Volkswagen Group envision and deliver progress: with speed, precision and a strong customer focus. The joint venture is rapidly developing the architecture for our future software- defined vehicles. Every step toward achieving our ambitious goals is being executed with determination and clear focus. In close collaboration with our brands, a technological foundation has been created in just twelve months that will enable a new digital driving experience for our customers at accessible prices. Together, this strategic partnership will set new standards for the future of mobility.”
RJ Scaringe, founder and CEO of Rivian, commented, “We remain incredibly excited by the work coming out of our joint venture with Volkswagen Group. RV Tech has gone from strength to strength over the last 12 months and is raising the bar in automotive technology. We’re incredibly excited about the launch of R2 in the first half of next year, which will showcase the advancements the joint venture has made.”
In addition, the joint venture is working with Volkswagen Group brands on the next development stages and technical specifications for future models based on the SSP platform, which are expected to hit the market by the end of the decade. This helps to ensure that the brands can optimally align their upcoming models with the SDV architecture and integrate digital vehicle capabilities into series production in a reliable and efficient manner.
The Volkswagen Group will deploy the platform in electric vehicles based on the upcoming SSP platform, which is expected to support a group-wide vehicle volume of up to 30 million units. Rivian will use the technologies created from the joint venture for its future products, R2, R3 and R3X, and to keep its current vehicle fleet updated with the latest software.
RV Tech has an international development team of more than 1,500 employees, with teams in the USA, Canada, Sweden, Serbia and also at a new location in Berlin. The new site in Germany will foster cross-site collaboration with the Volkswagen Group brands in Europe.
Rivian and Volkswagen announced their joint venture in November last year. Read the story here