Keep pulling the thread on Wassim Ben Sayed.
The RV Tech joint venture between Rivian and Volkswagen began approximately a year and a half ago with a nearly $6 billion investment from Volkswagen.
The RV Tech joint venture is responsible for the operating system and electrical architecture for all future electric vehicles from Volkswagen and its brands, including Audi and Scout.
The Rivian R2 will be the first vehicle based on the new architecture developed by the RV Tech joint venture.
The RV Tech joint venture will eventually provide the software and electrical architecture for every electric model in the Volkswagen Group, including brands like Audi, Porsche, Bentley, and Lamborghini.
One of the first products RV Tech is co-developing with Volkswagen Group is the ID.1, a mass-market vehicle intended to sell for less than $25,000.
Rivian made a strategic decision to develop its own AI solution in-house rather than relying on a third-party provider.
The Rivian R2's local computer will have up to 200 sparse TOPS of compute dedicated to AI.
According to recent Rivian surveys, the percentage of customers requesting CarPlay has dropped from over 70% five years ago to less than 25% now.
Wassim Ben Sayed is the co-CEO of RV Tech, a platform joint venture between Rivian and Volkswagen.
Rivian recently released the AI-powered Rivian Assistant in its R1 vehicles.
Volkswagen's previous internal software project, CARIAD, failed to achieve its goals.
RV Tech's strategy is to build 80-90% of the core software and provide customization hooks for brands like Audi and Lamborghini to differentiate their user interfaces and driving dynamics.