mpshizzle
Well-Known Member
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There’s been a lot of chatter (and conflicting information) about the Rivian–Volkswagen joint venture. What exactly is VW buying, and what aren’t they getting? Let’s break it down.
I go into more detail on the video - so if you'd like to watch that instead:
First - A Bit of Background
The TL;DR is that VW is buying Rivian's Zonal Architecture. But before we dig into WHAT exactly that entails, what is included (and what is not) we need to look at how most auto makers do electronics. Modern vehicles are essentially rolling networks of tiny computers (ECUs). It started with simple ECUs to handle simple functions. One to manage fuel injection, one to handle power locks, etc. Over time, automakers kept bolting on more and more ECUs for every new feature — power seats, ABS, airbags, lighting, you name it. Each ECU was often built by a different supplier, operating a little differently. Somehow, it all works, but it’s a mess when you want multiple systems to coordinate (like mirrors + lights + seat recall when you walk up to your Rivian).
If you were designing a car today, you probably wouldn’t build this Frankenstein system. Instead, you’d probably design a simpler, more robust system with fewer points of failure. Perhaps a... zonal architecture. (See what I did there? I'm rather proud of that one
)
Why Does VW Want This?
Today - VW's vehicles are very much stuck in the world of tons of tiny ECUs made by tons of suppliers. So there are a few key benefits they're after:
What VW DOES Get
What VW DOESN'T Get
This is where a lot of confusion online comes in. The deal does not include:
What This Means for the Future of VW Vehicles:
This isn’t just about cleaning up wiring. It’s about the future of software-defined vehicles.
Included:
My take: This is a smart move for both companies. VW gets to leapfrog years of messy architecture redesign. Rivian locks in billions in funding, credibility, and a big partner. Most importantly, Rivian keeps the “soul” of its vehicles — the powertrain, the autonomy stack, and the customer-facing software — fully proprietary.
What do you all think?
I go into more detail on the video - so if you'd like to watch that instead:
First - A Bit of Background
The TL;DR is that VW is buying Rivian's Zonal Architecture. But before we dig into WHAT exactly that entails, what is included (and what is not) we need to look at how most auto makers do electronics. Modern vehicles are essentially rolling networks of tiny computers (ECUs). It started with simple ECUs to handle simple functions. One to manage fuel injection, one to handle power locks, etc. Over time, automakers kept bolting on more and more ECUs for every new feature — power seats, ABS, airbags, lighting, you name it. Each ECU was often built by a different supplier, operating a little differently. Somehow, it all works, but it’s a mess when you want multiple systems to coordinate (like mirrors + lights + seat recall when you walk up to your Rivian).
If you were designing a car today, you probably wouldn’t build this Frankenstein system. Instead, you’d probably design a simpler, more robust system with fewer points of failure. Perhaps a... zonal architecture. (See what I did there? I'm rather proud of that one
)Why Does VW Want This?
Today - VW's vehicles are very much stuck in the world of tons of tiny ECUs made by tons of suppliers. So there are a few key benefits they're after:
- Consolidation: Instead of dozens of ECUs scattered around, Rivian divides the vehicle into a few zones (west, east, south in Gen 2 R1) controlled by powerful zonal controllers. These handle everything in their area — lights, locks, seats, etc.
- Simplicity: In R1 Gen 2, Rivian cut down to ~7 ECUs and eliminated 1.6 miles of wiring. That’s huge for reliability and cost.
- Scalability: The joint venture takes this Rivian design and makes it universal for VW’s fleet — from the tiny “ID Every 1” city EV in Europe to the upcoming Scout.
What VW DOES Get
- Designs for Physical Components: ECUs, motherboards, connectors, and wiring layouts.
- Software: The operating system that runs these controllers (Rivian’s current system is called Safe ARTUS. The one running on the JV's system will probably be a close relative).
- Protocols: The communication systems that let ECUs talk to sensors and each other across the network.
What VW DOESN'T Get
This is where a lot of confusion online comes in. The deal does not include:
- Powertrain & Battery: Rivian’s motors, inverters, suspension, and battery design remain 100% proprietary. That’s core Rivian DNA and not part of the deal.
- Infotainment System: Rivian’s Android Automotive–based UI (camp mode, pet mode, etc.) stays with Rivian. It's possible for VW to have similar features, but they will have to build that on their own. It won't be naturally inherited from Rivian.
- Autonomy Stack: Rivian’s machine-learning-based driver assistance is not included. The joint venture will provide the hooks (zonal ECUs can connect to radars, cameras, sonars), but VW has to build or buy their own ADAS system.
What This Means for the Future of VW Vehicles:
This isn’t just about cleaning up wiring. It’s about the future of software-defined vehicles.
- With a zonal architecture, pushing OTA updates is straightforward. Instead of updating 15+ random third-party modules, they'll update a handful of zonal controllers co-developed with Rivian.
- VW is paying $5.8 billion for this, because they’ve seen Tesla and Rivian thrive with OTA updates while legacy OEMs have stumbled. This deal is VW’s shortcut to catching up.
- Rivian benefits massively too: scale, validation, and cash flow to accelerate R2 and beyond. It's likely R2 will benefit from some of the work the JV is doing, but R3 and beyond will DEFINITELY benefit.
Included:
- Zonal architecture (ECU designs + software + protocols)
- Vehicle network and OS foundation
- Motors, batteries, chassis engineering
- Infotainment and Rivian Features
- Rivian’s proprietary ADAS/autonomy stack
My take: This is a smart move for both companies. VW gets to leapfrog years of messy architecture redesign. Rivian locks in billions in funding, credibility, and a big partner. Most importantly, Rivian keeps the “soul” of its vehicles — the powertrain, the autonomy stack, and the customer-facing software — fully proprietary.
What do you all think?
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