Volkswagen’s partnership with US electric vehicle startup Rivian is set to deepen through a software cooperation. The German automaker’s CEO, Oliver Blume, told the “Spiegel” that the company is considering sharing modules and combining procurement volumes. “For a small brand like Rivian, the Volkswagen Group offers great opportunities” Blume said.
Rivian has so far produced a pickup and an SUV, both with electric powertrains, and has sold around 50,000 units in the US and Canada by 2024. In contrast, Volkswagen has sold over nine million vehicles worldwide. The German company plans to invest nearly six billion dollars in Rivian by the end of 2027.
The core of the cooperation is a joint venture in the Silicon Valley, which is developing a new electronic architecture for the models of the German group, including Volkswagen, Audi, and Porsche. The new Volkswagen brand, Scout, also set to benefit from the software cooperation, will start producing an electric SUV and a pickup in 2027, priced from around 45,000 dollars.
When asked if Volkswagen was competing with Rivian through the Scout brand, Blume rejected the idea, stating that the vehicles are “completely differently positioned.” Rivian’s pickups, for instance, start at around 70,000 dollars.