Volkswagen to power all future electric vehicles with Rivian's R2 platform.
In a significant move, Volkswagen has announced that it will adopt the Rivian R2 platform as the foundation for all its future electric vehicles (EVs). This strategic decision marks a major shift for the German automaker, which has faced challenges with its own internal software development unit, CARIAD.
The Rivian R2 platform will serve as the common digital brain behind all future EVs across Volkswagen's brand portfolio, including Volkswagen proper, Audi, Porsche, and Skoda. This means that each brand will maintain unique user interfaces, styling, and suspension tuning, while sharing the same core hardware and software foundation.
Rivian's software, known for its robustness and modern architecture, will replace Volkswagen's previously troubled in-house software efforts. This partnership will allow Volkswagen to speed up its EV rollout, overcome previous developmental delays, and better compete with rivals like Tesla.
Volkswagen has invested $5 billion in Rivian and formed a joint venture focused on next-gen EV platforms and electrical architectures, ensuring close collaboration on these new technologies. Volkswagen is also increasing its stake in Rivian, potentially becoming the largest shareholder.
The R2 platform will serve as the base for Rivian’s own upcoming R2 SUV, which targets a mass-market price around $45,000. This indicates that Volkswagen’s future EVs based on this platform will also be competitive in affordability and scale.
Wassym Bensaid, Rivian's Chief Software Officer and co-CEO of the Rivian-Volkswagen joint venture, confirmed the news. The R2 is expected to begin production in the first half of 2026, with Volkswagen's compact EV, the ID.1, expected to launch in 2027 and will be the first vehicle to feature Rivian's platform.
In summary, Rivian's R2 platform represents a transformative foundation for Volkswagen’s electrification strategy. This partnership enables VW to consolidate its EV efforts on a proven, flexible platform with advanced software, thereby enhancing competitiveness, innovation speed, and global market reach. This strategic pivot away from VW’s internal software struggles and underscores Rivian’s rising influence in the EV industry.
- Volkswagen's future electric vehicles, including those from brands like Audi, Porsche, and Skoda, will share a common digital brain with Rivian's R2 platform.
- The Rivian R2 platform, known for its robustness and modern architecture, will replace Volkswagen's previous troubled in-house software efforts.
- With its investment in Rivian and formation of a joint venture, Volkswagen aims to accelerate its EV rollout and overcome past developmental delays, positioning itself better against rivals like Tesla.
- The affordable mass-market price of Rivian's upcoming R2 SUV indicates that Volkswagen's future EVs based on this platform will also be competitive in terms of affordability and scale.
