Electric Volkswagen Golf, ID4, and More Coming With Rivian’s Help

An electric Volkswagen Golf, a VW "ID1," new EVs for Audi and Porsche, and eventually a high-tech sedan from Project Trinity are all in the cards, courtesy of Volkswagen’s deal with Rivian that will help facilitate future generations of software-defined vehicles for both automakers. Volkswagen and Rivian finalized their joint venture $5.8 billion deal in November.

Rivian will share its zonal architecture, providing an electrical platform and software solution that the Volkswagen Group’s Cariad software division has been unable to supply in a timely manner. In the immediate future, the companies will integrate Rivian’s current, but advanced, software and electrical architecture as quickly as possible, while working on full implementation of Rivian’s architecture for future-generation vehicles. Rivian’s zonal architecture has electronic control units performing multiple functions in different zones of the car and they all communicate.

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The joint venture, an independent company called Rivian and VW Group Technology LLC, will provide Rivian’s existing tech to launch the Rivian’s R2 midsize SUV in the first half of 2026, the first vehicle to come from the new venture. On the Volkswagen Group side, Audi and Porsche will have the first products, says Volkswagen volume brand head Thomas Schäfer. Timing for the first premium vehicle is the end of 2027 or early 2028. The new joint venture company will develop a scalable architecture for future software defined vehicles from small cars to premium models.

For the Volkswagen brand, there will be an all-new ID1 fully electric model for Europe in late 2027, says Kai Grünitz, head of global research and development for the Volkswagen brand. But the electric subcompact is deemed too small for American tastes. A compact ID2 EV has already been previewed, likely only for Europe, as well.

Electric VW Golf in 2029

The first software-defined vehicle from the venture to hit U.S. soil will be the electric Golf in 2029, more than a year later than originally planned. It will use the Scalable System Platform (SSP) that replaces MEB and will continue to spawn the ID family of electric vehicles. But it will now rely on Rivian instead of Cariad for some of the vital software. The current eighth-generation Golf got a facelift for the 2025 model year.

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Originally, Project Trinity was to be Volkswagen’s first software defined vehicle, a long-range, fast-charging electric sedan that could be refreshed by updating the software. But Volkswagen decided it wanted to start with the Golf, an iconic and volume vehicle, as the first SDV vehicle for VW in North America, says Schäfer. Trinity was not designed to be a volume vehicle; it was more of a tech project to push the envelope.

Trinity is not dead but has been pushed back to at least 2032. It is not a denunciation of Cariad—which has been rife with issues that delayed vehicle launches—but rather a way of accelerating development, Schäfer says. Cariad does not go away, the software subsidiary continues to be responsible for the existing electronic architectures: MEB, MQB, and the automaker’s next-generation advanced driver assistance systems and infotainment, all of which must be maintained. Cariad could provide infotainment systems in some parts of the world while Rivian will provide infotainment solutions for North America. The Rivian innovations will help VW continue to offer emotional vehicles with a user experience that connect them to their cars, executives say, much like the way the ID. Buzz makes people smile.

Project Trinity was also to introduce a new way of manufacturing, but the Volkswagen Group decided against building a new factory, which is a good decision in hindsight given current overcapacity in Germany, Schäfer says. The new U.S. Scout brand will also use the new jointly-developed VW-Rivian architecture.

Level 3 Autonomous Driving

Volkswagen is also working with Rivian to get Level 3 driver assistance as part of the e-architecture. Part of the challenge is to figure out which ADAS stack to use as there are several options, including Mobileye which VW uses in its test fleet of ID Buzz robotaxis operating in Austin, Texas. Passenger cars should have Level 3 with no restrictions in the U.S. by the end of the decade, Grünitz says.

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Solid State Batteries Not the Promised Silver Bullet

The automaker also continues to work on solid state batteries. The first samples from subsidiary PowerCo are promising. But Grünitz does not think the technology will be ready until the end of the decade. There are still some challenges to bring down the cost for mass production and to ensure quality components needed for serial production. Solid state batteries are not the silver bullet or final solution, he says. Other solutions are being investigated and there is much room for improvement with battery technology. Like other automakers, Volkswagen is working on different chemistries, technologies, ways of building cells, and cell formats. All have different advantages.

Honda wants to deploy breakthrough solid-state batteries in its next-generation EVs by the end of the decade and has also begun pilot production as it works to make the batteries larger and more durable while improving cost. The goal is about 620 miles of range. Toyota Motor Corp. is planning two versions of solid-state batteries. Toyota’s first will arrive around 2027 to 2028, with a target range of more than 621 miles. Nissan also has a pilot plant with a target of 2028.