Rivian’s R2 platform will function the foundational expertise for all upcoming electrical autos at Volkswagen, based on a Rivian government. The primary mannequin to make the most of an off-the-shelf model of this platform will probably be VW’s ID Every1, with plans for its little one manufacturers like Audi and Porsche to additionally undertake the expertise.
The current $5 billion software program partnership between Rivian and Volkswagen has taken an attention-grabbing flip. Not solely will Volkswagen achieve entry to a shared software program platform to deal with gaps in its choices, however Rivian’s forthcoming SUV platform will act because the digital core for all future Volkswagen electrical autos. Which means that each electrical car Volkswagen develops will make the most of the identical expertise stack because the extremely anticipated Rivian R2.
Wassym Bensaid, Rivian’s Chief Software program Officer, revealed in an interview with Yahoo Finance that the R2’s modular platform will probably be integral to Volkswagen’s EV technique transferring ahead. In line with Bensaid, the R2’s expertise will set up a standard basis for all of Volkswagen’s new battery-powered fashions, beginning with the inexpensive VW Every1, which will probably be launched below a brand new title.
Bensaid acknowledged, “R2 is the platform that can underpin really all future EV merchandise at VW. So it is actually that modular, scalable expertise stack that we’ll take into VW manufacturers, and we are going to do it in a means the place we are going to nonetheless permit every of the manufacturers to precise their very own identification.”
This assertion signifies that the advantages of the R2 platform will prolong past simply the Volkswagen model. Manufacturers like Audi, Porsche, and others below the VW Group—reminiscent of Scout, Lamborghini, Skoda, and Seat—will even be capable of leverage the R2 expertise and structure.
Bensaid elaborated, noting that whereas every model will preserve its personal consumer interface and design components, they are going to all function on the identical underlying expertise infrastructure. It is a vital growth for Rivian, because it demonstrates {that a} comparatively new participant within the automotive business is being entrusted with a vital a part of Volkswagen’s operations. This newfound collaboration might improve client confidence for these contemplating transitioning from rivals like Tesla into an R2.
Volkswagen has confronted challenges with its software program programs up to now, notably with its Cariad division, which has struggled with varied software program points. This partnership with Rivian alerts a transformative shift in VW’s strategy to expertise. It displays the corporate’s dedication to modernize and adapt, distinguishing itself from rivals nonetheless counting on outdated frameworks.
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