Volkswagen’s offshoot electric vehicle company, Scout Motors, will integrate software and zonal architecture from a joint venture between Rivian and Volkswagen Group when its new vehicles hit production in 2027, Rivian Chief Software Officer Wassym Bensaid confirmed at Disrupt 2024.
VW and Rivian are currently working to finalize a $5 billion deal for this technology collaboration, with plans to conclude it by the end of this year. Although the partnership is designed to power much of Volkswagen’s future fleet, the inclusion of Scout’s new EV models had been uncertain until now.
Scout, which recently revealed prototypes for its Traveler SUV and Terra pickup truck, plans to adopt a zonal architecture—a design utilizing a limited number of centralized computers to manage different functional zones within the vehicle’s electrical system. This setup aligns closely with Rivian’s existing tech structure, visible in Scout’s prototype models.
“Each brand that uses the joint venture’s software will continue to have their own identity and features,” Bensaid stated at the event, adding, “We’re enabling competition.” He also acknowledged the design similarities between Rivian and Scout’s new vehicles, remarking, “That’s fantastic…it’s great validation of the Rivian product.”
The Scout brand aims to distinguish itself in the EV market by balancing its unique identity with the advantages of shared software and architecture. The use of Rivian’s software will mark a key element in Scout’s upcoming product offerings as it works toward a 2027 market launch.
Source: TechCrunch
