Volkswagen’s $5 billion investment in Rivian last year should bring many benefits to each brand. For Rivian, the cash is obviously a good thing, as is access to VW’s expertise with large-scale mass production and logistics. Meanwhile, the German automaker stands to gain from Rivian’s talents in engineering efficient, long-range EVs. Among the first products to use such technology will be the Mk9 Volkswagen Golf, which will offer both electric and internal combustion powertrains.
2026 Volkswagen ID.2
- Engine
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single electric motor
- Horsepower
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223 horsepower
- 0-60 MPH
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7 seconds
- Top Speed
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99 mph
- Electric Range
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280 miles
Simple Electrics, Simpler Production
Rivian will help VW develop an electrical architecture that will reduce complexity, making the systems quicker and more power-efficient. According to Carscoops, one of the first recipients of that new system will be the electric version of the Golf, due in 2028. The e-Golf (or whatever it ends up being called) should use Volkswagen’s new Scalable Systems Platform (SSP), which will not only offer the kind of modular vehicle architecture that’s become so common today but will also feature simplified vehicle control modules (developed in partnership with Rivian’s input).
The new modules allow SSP to to applied to a variety of different vehicle types, ranging from the electric Golf to Rivian’s next-generation trucks and SUVs. Per Carscoops, entry-level models may only use one or two control modules, while more expensive vehicles in the Volkswagen Group portfolio (like a flagship Bentley luxury crossover) might have a few more to support their more advanced driver-assist, infotainment, and convenience features. SSP will streamline production of multiple vehicles in a single facility, allowing VW’s brands to more easily tweak their models according to market demand, as well.
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VW Will Finally Get 800-Volt Charging
In addition to production simplicity and more electrical efficiency, the Rivian-codeveloped platform will also get an 800-volt electrical system, finally bringing the EVs from both brands into competition with the likes of the Hyundai Ioniq 5 and GMC Hummer EV. The benefits of an 800V architecture are numerous, ranging from greater battery efficiency to faster charging, as well as increased resistance to range degradation over time. If the ID.EVERY1 and ID.2all concepts are any indication, their production variants will still use the MEB platform that appears under the ID. Buzz and ID.4.
That would make the electric VW Golf the first people’s car to use an 800-volt system. Such a cadence would be wholly appropriate for the family-sized hatchback, which debuted in 1974 as a replacement for the legendary Beetle. With the option of three or five doors, the Golf was a more modern offering than the World War II–era Beetle, marking Volkswagen’s entry into a new era of automobiles. A sophisticated, efficient electric Mk9 Golf would do the exact same thing.
Source: Carscoops