Volkswagen & Rivian May Market Their Zonal Software To Other Automakers - CleanTechnica

Volkswagen Group and Rivian have formed a joint venture called RV Tech to develop advanced software and electrical platforms for electric vehicles (EVs). Despite Volkswagen’s previous struggles with software development—highlighted by the failure of its CARIAD division and the outsourcing of software tasks to Rivian—the partnership has made significant progress. RV Tech aims to deliver scalable software systems across various vehicle sizes and segments, primarily for Volkswagen, Audi, and Rivian models, with plans to potentially license this technology to other automakers. This approach reflects a shift toward zonal architecture, which reduces complexity and costs by using fewer controllers to manage vehicle functions. However, challenges remain for Volkswagen, including tariffs in the US, declining sales in China, and weak demand in Europe. These issues, combined with delays in launching EV models such as Audi’s Q8 e-tron and Porsche’s K1 SUV, have raised concerns about the partnership’s effectiveness. Reports suggest that Volkswagen may keep internal combustion engines longer than planned and might even