Volkswagen and Rivian Mark One Year of Joint Venture with Progress on Software-Defined Vehicle Development

• RV Tech will begin cold-weather testing SDV prototypes from Audi, Scout, and Volkswagen in early 2026.

• Over 1,500 engineers in 5 countries developing zonal architecture for future VW and Rivian EVs.

• ID.Every1 will be first VW model to use new tech, with launch planned for 2027.

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One year after forming their $5.8 billion joint venture, Rivian and the Volkswagen Group have confirmed that development on their shared software-defined vehicle (SDV) and zonal architecture is progressing, with winter testing scheduled to begin in the first quarter of 2026.

The joint venture, called Rivian and Volkswagen Group Technologies (RV Tech), now includes more than 1,500 employees working across five countries, including the United States, Canada, Germany, Serbia, and Sweden. A new location in Berlin has been opened to improve coordination with Volkswagen Group’s European brands.

RV Tech is building a next-generation zonal electrical architecture that centralizes computing into a few core vehicle zones, reducing wiring complexity and enabling ongoing over-the-air updates. The architecture supports automated driving features and is intended to streamline production for both companies.

Initial vehicle integrations of the SDV platform have been finalized. These include the Volkswagen ID.Every1, a Scout Motors model, and an Audi vehicle. The ID.Every1, expected to launch in 2027, will feature a single zonal ECU, while the other two models will use three-zonal (East, West, South) ECU systems. Engineering prototypes have been under development since the summer of 2025 at RV Tech facilities in Palo Alto and Irvine.

Volkswagen plans to deploy this architecture across its upcoming Scalable Systems Platform (SSP), replacing the MEB and PPE platforms currently used in vehicles like the Volkswagen ID.4 and Audi Q6 E-tron. The SSP platform is expected to support up to 30 million vehicles across multiple segments and brands.

Rivian has already introduced elements of the joint architecture in its second-generation R1T and R1S vehicles. The company’s forthcoming R2 midsize SUV, set to debut in early 2026, will also use this system. Rivian’s future R3 and R3X models are expected to follow.

Beyond its internal applications, RV Tech is exploring the potential to license its SDV architecture to other automakers. The company is positioning the platform as a possible industry reference system, comparable to Android’s role in mobile software.