By Abhirup Roy and Ben Klayman
SAN FRANCISCO (Reuters) – German automaker Volkswagen Group will invest up to $5 billion in U.S. electric vehicle maker Rivian as part of a new, equally controlled joint venture to share EV architecture and software, the companies said on Tuesday.
Rivian’s shares rose about 50% in extended trading after the announcement, potentially boosting the company’s market value by nearly $6 billion if earnings continue on Wednesday.
The auto industry faces a crucial time as EV startups face a slowdown in demand amid high interest rates and tight cash, while traditional automakers struggle to build vehicles with advanced batteries and software.
The investment will provide Rivian with the funds needed to develop its less expensive and smaller R2 SUVs due in early 2026 and its planned R3 crossovers, CEO RJ Scaringe said. for Reuters. Additionally, the partnership will enable Rivian to lower operating costs by leveraging supply volumes including chips and components, he said.
It will also help Rivian, known for its first R1S SUVs and R1T pickups, turn cash flow positive. The company will license its existing intellectual property to the JV and the R2 will be the first vehicle to use the software from the JV. Volkswagen vehicles, including its Audi, Porsche, Lamborghini and Bentley brands will follow.
“Any such cash infusion is huge. Getting the support of the Volkswagen Group certainly really strengthens their story towards Europe and eventually towards Asia,” said Vitaly Golomb, managing partner at Mavka Capital, a Rivian investor.
For Volkswagen, analysts and investors see the investment as a move to solve the company’s software problems. VW’s software division Cariad – created under former VW Group CEO Herbert Diess – has exceeded its budget and failed to meet targets. This contributed to the release of Diess in September 2022.
Volkswagen will immediately invest $1 billion in Rivian through a note that will convert into shares on Dec. 1, subject to regulatory approvals. Volkswagen will also make a payment of $1 billion at the start of the JV, which is expected in the fourth quarter of this year.
The German automaker will also invest $2 billion in Rivian shares — $1 billion each in 2025 and 2026 — provided the startup hits certain milestones and secures a $1 billion loan in 2026.
COSTLY WRITINGS
Even with losses of nearly $40,000 on each vehicle it delivers, Rivian has been on a more stable footing than other EV startups that have been forced to cut prices or file for bankruptcy, including Fisker earlier this month.
To keep its head above water, Rivian has cut costs even as it works to deliver its electric vehicles on time. It has also renegotiated supplier contracts and built some parts in-house.
The company has overhauled its manufacturing process, which has led to a significant reduction in the cost of materials, Scaringe told Reuters last week.
Rivian’s cash and short-term investments fell by about $1.5 billion in the first quarter to just under $8 billion. Before the deal with VW, Rivian had said it had enough capital to launch the R2 SUVs.
“They’re definitely going to need something to get past the R2 launch. This definitely helps expand that range,” said Sam Fiorani, vice president at research firm AutoForecast Solutions.
Rivian’s shares have halved so far this year. Traders have bet heavily that the stock will fall, with the equivalent of 18% of its shares sold recently, according to data from S3 Partners.
INHERITANCE
Volkswagen said earlier this year it was sticking with plans to launch 25 EV models in North America across its group brands by 2030, even as it acknowledged slowing growth in the segment. The company’s shares are down about 3% so far this year.
Mavka Capital’s Golomb said VW is not a major player in the large SUV and pickup segments in the US and has failed to make inroads with its ID4 electric crossover SUV. But the partnership with Rivian gives the company options, he said.
Volkswagen said Tuesday that the Rivian software will also be used by the German automaker’s Scout off-road vehicle brand, which is building a plant in South Carolina to assemble pickup trucks and SUVs that will compete with the Rivian. The plant is scheduled to open at the end of 2026.
VW’s Cariad has been struggling for years. Analysts say parts of its legacy system come from suppliers, which makes integrating all the different parts complicated. Problems in the unit delayed work on the important new models of the Porsche e-Macan and Audi Q6 e-tron vehicles.
Volkswagen has launched a new software architecture, but cars built using that technology won’t hit the market until 2028.
However, VW said Cariad will play a central role in growing the software used across the brands.
(Reporting by Abhirup Roy in San Francisco and Ben Klayman in Detroit; Additional reporting by Noel Randewich in Oakland, Calif., Christina Amann in Berlin, Harshita Varghese in Bengaluru Writing by Sayantani Ghosh Editing by Rod Nickel, Matthew Lewis and Leslieler)