Rivian Keeps Its Best Self-Driving Tech Away from Volkswagen Deal

The new Rivian autonomous driving features of the R2 platform will not be shared with Volkswagen. Rivian thinks this will set them apart from the competition.

If you developed something that nobody else had, would you want to share it? Although Rivian and Volkswagen have entered a long-term partnership, the autonomous driving features that Rivian has developed will not be shared with its corporate partner. The tech surrounding these advancements could be a huge part of setting the R2 apart with self-driving technology, and Rivian doesn’t feel like sharing at this time.

Is Rivian holding out, or will the AI technology become available to VW later?

Rivian just announced some seriously impressive autonomous driving features coming to the R2 in 2026, but there’s a catch for Volkswagen. Despite their $5.8 billion partnership, Rivian isn’t sharing its new LiDAR-based self-driving system or its AI Large Driving Model with VW. The German automaker gets access to zonal architecture and infotainment platforms, but Rivian’s keeping the fancy hands-free tech for itself. CEO RJ Scaringe made it clear this could change with a separate deal down the road, but for now, Rivian’s holding onto what makes its vehicles special. The company is betting big on personal autonomous vehicles that can do things like pick you up from the airport, not robotaxis like everyone else is chasing.

The new tech is more than simply hands-free driving systems

What does your vehicle do most of the day? For many owners, their vehicle sits in a parking space or driveway most of the time. Unless you’re taking a road trip or have a job that requires driving during work hours, your vehicle spends most of its time parked. Wouldn’t it be great to allow your vehicle to do more for you? The LiDAR systems developed for autonomous vehicles, coupled with the AI Large Language Model (LLM) system, enable Rivian vehicles to drive themselves. This means instead of sitting in a parking lot while you work, your Rivian vehicle could return home to allow other people in your household to use it and then return to your workplace when it’s time for you to go home. Wouldn’t that be a huge advancement in Rivian’s autonomous driving?

This tech wasn’t part of the Volkswagen Rivian partnership

Volkswagen stepped in with a huge investment in Rivian to save the company, but that doesn’t mean Rivian has to share proprietary technology or developments with VW. There have been several electric vehicle partnerships in the automotive industry so far, and each side must maintain some sense of independence from the other, regardless of the size of the investment. Since this tech wasn’t part of the original deal, Rivian isn’t sharing at this time but has mentioned that they might be willing to share autonomous driving tech later, under a new deal with VW. Considering Rivian is focused on consumer use of its self-driving technology and not robotaxis, they could be on the verge of a breakthrough and don’t want to share the benefits.

The quietness of the Rivian autonomous driving development

Without terms like AI and user interface clearly defined, it’s up to each company to create its own definition of these terms. For Rivian, that means it’s not sharing the AI system that has been developed quietly and without leaks. Of course, this could lead Volkswagen to consider that Rivian might have been holding back during its original deal, but that can happen with nearly any partnership. Despite being left out of the Rivian self-driving project, Volkswagen is still working on its own self-driving Gen. urban project, which is being tested in Wolfsburg, Germany. Of course, if the two collaborated on a singular project, things might move along faster.

When will the Rivian R2 have self-driving tech?

The new LiDAR system is set to be part of the R2 platform by the end of 2026, but it is not a retrofit system that can be added to models sold before the system is available. That means earlier models of the R2 won’t have the Rivian autonomous driving technology as part of the mix. Still, these early models will have the Rivian hands-free driving system, which covers 3.5 million miles of roads in the United States and Canada.

Will the new Rivian self-driving system change the automotive world for good? Rivian is betting that it will and has gone all-in and left others out of the development of its new AI system and LiDAR technology. Once available, it’s only a matter of time for the Rivian autonomous driving technology to prove its worth on the road.