Rivian expands joint venture with VW to include AI assistant

Rivian and Volkswagen Group's joint venture, valued at $5.8 billion, is expanding to include Rivian's AI assistant technology. Rivian will license elements of its AI voice assistant technology to Volkswagen Group, potentially integrating it into the ID EVERY1, a low-cost EV. The exact terms of the licensing deal, including fees and payment, were not disclosed. This marks the second expansion of the joint venture, which initially focused on bringing Rivian's electrical architecture and software to Volkswagen's next-gen vehicles. Rivian developed its AI assistant over two years before rolling it out to its flagship vehicles in May 2026 and later to its R2 SUV in October 2026. The company views this expansion as a 'proof point' for the extensibility of its in-house platform.