Developers and engineers from VW and Rivian will work together in a new tech venture to “help accelerate EV adoption”.

In June 2024, Volkswagen and EV (electric vehicle) start-up Rivian entered a joint venture (JV) to create next-generation software-defined vehicle (SDV) platforms.

The $5bn deal has been upped to $5.8bn. Now, the JV aims to make EV more accessible to customers by pooling expertise, speeding up innovation, reducing development costs and scaling new technologies.

RJ Scaringe, founder and CEO of Rivian, said: “We’re thrilled to see our technology being integrated in vehicles outside Rivian – this is an important enabler to help accelerate EV adoption.”

The JV will employ a team of developers and software engineers based in Palo Alto, California. There are also three other sites in development in North America and Europe.

The JV will enable the launch of Rivian’s R2 SUV in the first half of 2026. And the first VW models to be integrated with Rivian’s technology platform are...