Volkswagen taps Rivian tech to catch up with Tesla, China EVs

Volkswagen said technology developed with US EV maker Rivian could be used in its combustion engine cars in the future.

The German automaker agreed to invest US$5.8 billion in Rivian in 2024 to boost its software capabilities after delays at its in-house unit, Cariad.

The partnership aims to accelerate work on a scalable next-generation vehicle platform and close the gap with Tesla and Chinese competitors.

Carsten Helbing, co-CEO of the joint venture RV Tech, said the architecture could support various drivetrain configurations, but the current focus remains on battery EVs.

Winter testing will start by year-end on the Volkswagen ID.Every1 and one model each from Audi and Scout.

Volkswagen’s ID.Every1 will debut the RV Tech software in 2027, with more VW Group models expected to adopt the technology by 2030.

🔗 Source: Reuters

🧠 Food for thought

Implications, context, and why it matters.

VW’s combustion option clouds software plan

RV Tech, the VW–Rivian software joint venture, might support internal combustion engines 1. The JV says it focuses on battery EVs across segments, including subcompacts 2.
Public materials do not disclose intellectual property (IP) ownership, exclusivity terms, or the compute stack (the onboard hardware-and-software platform) 2. That gap clouds how uniformly VW can standardize the architecture across brands by 2027–2030.
Many observers link the partnership to setbacks at Cariad 1. The JV must prove it can ship production-ready software by 2027 for ID.Every1 1, since the public 12-week demonstrator 2 is not a validated safety-certified system.

Cybersecurity vendors can target VW’s 2027 timeline

VW brands launching RV Tech software in 2027 must comply with United Nations Economic Commission for Europe (UNECE) Regulation No. 155 (cybersecurity) 3, plus Regulation No. 156 on software updates and over-the-air (OTA) updates in markets 3. The rules require documented software update processes plus certification as part of type approval (regulatory certification to sell a vehicle in a market) 4. Implementations often use secure gateways (in-vehicle network components that control and authenticate access to vehicle systems) 4.
Third parties such as cybersecurity compliance vendors and systems integrators can win work on R155/R156 audits, secure OTA hardware, or managed cybersecurity services 1. VW starts winter testing by year-end on the ID.Every1, plus one Audi, plus one Scout model 1.
The R156 compliance market could grow from $1.2 billion in 2024 to $6.7 billion by 2033 at a 21.3% compound annual growth rate (CAGR) 5. Specialized consulting and integration services will be in demand as original equipment manufacturers (OEMs) face implementation complexity and labor shortages.