Volkswagen’s Rivian Tech Is Coming—But the U.S. Will Have to Wait

A Possible Game Changer

Over the years, the Volkswagen Auto Group has established a couple of joint ventures and collaborations with young automakers. There are Bugatti and Rimac, for instance, and, bringing things back down to earth, Rivian and Volkswagen. It's interesting to see where it goes, but it's great to see these forward-thinking companies injecting new ideas within the VW Group.

The Rivian and VW collab could be a potential game-changer for VW Group. The joint venture was established in late 2024 under the name RV Tech. It aims to integrate Rivian's know-how on building EV architectures, as well as developing on-board software to further advance technologies.

Progress Has Been Made

Since the signing, RV Tech has been moving forward in development. Earlier this year, prototypes of the new technologies completed winter testing as part of extreme weather testing. The results of the test were not made public, but it's a strong indication that the joint venture will bear fruit eventually.

VW Group of America CEO Kjell Gruner had expressed confidence in the partnership, adding that it's the kind of technology that the group needs. Speaking to the press, Automotive News quoted the executive saying, "That’s not just software, it’s also hardware. You need the compute architecture and the software playing together."

Interestingly, this technology partnership may go beyond EVs. It was also reported that the collaboration might include ICE models, possibly hybrid vehicles. If so, Volkswagen's hybrids and plug-in hybrids have the potential to be even more efficient in fuel and energy consumption.

The Cars that Will Get it

So far, the VW Group has confirmed that the co-developed technologies will be applied to future Volkswagen EV models, as well as yet-to-be-named Audi and Scout models down the line. Our guess? One of them could be the upcoming A2, and Scout could add a smaller, more affordable off-roader down the line.

The I.D Every1 will be the first car to benefit from RV Tech, and that model will be released in 2027, possibly for the 2028 model year. However, the U.S. market might have to wait a little longer to get Rivian tech in its VW Group models. The I.D Every1 will not be sold stateside, as subcompact vehicles that aren't crossovers don't really sell in that part of the world. There's also slim margins for the I.D Every1's segment, so it's not worth the effort on VW North America's part.

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