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4d ago

Rivian–VW JV Marks First Year With ID.1 Prototypes in California, 2026 Winter Tests and Licensing Push

The update signals a shift to a shared zonal platform intended to underpin Volkswagen’s future SSP models with potential for third‑party licensing.

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The Rivian-Volkswagen Partnership Will Go Even Further Than We Expected: Technology
A vehicle by Rivian Automotives, the maker of all-electric SUVs and pickup trucks, charging outside the company’s service center in Mira Mesa in Jan. 2024. (Rob Nikolewski/San Diego Union-Tribune)
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Overview

  • Engineering prototypes of Volkswagen’s compact ID.1 are testing at RV Tech sites in Palo Alto and Irvine, with the model slated to debut the JV software and enter production in 2027.
  • Winter validation of the co‑developed zonal architecture is scheduled for the first quarter of 2026 on reference vehicles from Volkswagen, Audi and Scout.
  • RV Tech’s platform will feed into Volkswagen’s Scalable Systems Platform roadmap, which the Group targets for deployment across a vehicle volume of up to roughly 30 million units.
  • Executives said the technology could be licensed to other automakers as a potential industry “reference operating system,” though near‑term execution centers on Rivian R2 and the first VW Group models.
  • Rivian reported about $214 million of Q3 Software & Services revenue tied to the JV, and Volkswagen has delivered two $1 billion investment tranches as part of its up to $5.8 billion commitment.