Finally an electric bright spot for Volkswagen from the USA?
- Published on 13/11/2025 11:18
- Modified on 14/11/2025 10:41
One year after its creation, the joint venture between the Volkswagen Group and Rivian is showing tangible progress.
One year after announcing their technological alliance, Volkswagen and Rivian report an encouraging first assessment. Their joint venture, named RV Tech, is making rapid progress in developing an electronic architecture known as Software-Defined Vehicle (SDV), which will equip future models from both brands.
According to both manufacturers, the first reference vehicles from the Volkswagen, Audi and Scout brands will enter winter testing as early as the first quarter of 2026. These tests will evaluate the system’s reliability in extreme weather conditions. The SDV architecture relies on central computing units capable of managing all vehicle functions, making over-the-air software updates easier and adding new features without a visit to a service center.
The electric future of Volkswagen in Rivian’s hands
Volkswagen plans to integrate this technology into its future electric vehicles based on the SSP platform, which is set to become the common technical foundation for many of the group’s models. Ultimately, this platform could affect up to 30 million vehicles worldwide.
For Rivian, this collaboration should benefit the next generation of models – R2, R3 and R3X – while improving connectivity and services for its vehicles already on the road.
The joint venture now employs more than 1,500 engineers and developers across the United States, Canada, Sweden, Serbia and, more recently, Berlin. A European presence intended to strengthen synergies with Volkswagen’s teams.
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For the German group, often criticized for its software delays, this progress marks a turning point. After several years of difficulties developing its embedded systems, this transatlantic cooperation could finally put Volkswagen back on the right digital track.
ALSO READ: Volkswagen puts another billion into Rivian
This page is translated from the original post "Enfin une éclaircie électrique pour Volkswagen depuis les USA ?" in French.
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