Volkswagen’s new electric Golf will get the Rivian treatment

By Nick Godt Published November 30, 2024

volkswagens new electric golf will get the rivian treatment 2024 vw facelift — Image used with permission by copyright holder

The Golf represents “the heart” of the Volkswagen brand, the automaker said at the start of 2024, as the iconic model celebrated five decades of existence.

A 50^th anniversary also seems like the right occasion to fully bring the Golf into the 21^st century: While we already knew that VW is reviving an electric version of the model, the German automaker just revealed the next-gen Golf will also benefit from Rivian’s cutting-edge software and electrical systems.

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VW, like global automakers, is transitioning toward producing “software-defined vehicles” (SDVs) with functionalities and digital experiences that can be upgraded over time. That transition became official back in June when VW announced a joint venture with Rivian.

Meanwhile, the automaker also announced last summer it would delay the launch of a new flagship electric vehicle (EV) called Trinity, initially planned for 2026. German press reports at the time suggested the delay was to make room for none other than the next-gen electric Golf.

And now that VW’s venture with Rivian has officially kicked off earlier this month, all the pieces are coming together.

“We decided on how to do the software-defined vehicle,” VW CEO Thomas Schafer said during a media roundtable. “It will happen with the joint venture, where we put the new electric-electronics architecture together. But we have also decided that we want to start this journey with a more iconic product. So we’ll start with the Golf.”

The next-gen electric Golf is now expected for 2029, followed by Trinity in the following years.

The Volkswagen-Rivian venture first plans to use Rivian’s electrical architecture and software technology stack to enable the launch of Rivian’s R2 midsize SUV in the first half of 2026 and support the launch of Volkswagen models by 2027.

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Freelance reporter

Nick Godt has covered global business news on three continents for over 25 years.

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Volkswagen plans 8 new affordable EVs by 2027, report says

volkswagen affordable evs 2027 id 2all

Back in the early 1970s, when soaring oil prices stifled consumer demand for gas-powered vehicles, Volkswagen took a bet on a battery system that would power its first-ever electric concept vehicle, the Elektro Bus.
Now that the German automaker is facing a huge slump in sales in Europe and China, it’s again turning to affordable electric vehicles to save the day.Volkswagen brand chief Thomas Schaefer told German media that the company plans to bring eight new affordable EVs to market by 2027."We have to produce our vehicles profitably and put them on the road at affordable prices," he is quoted as saying.
One of the models will be the ID.2all hatchback, the development of which is currently being expedited to 36 months from its previous 50-month schedule. Last year, VW unveiled the ID.2all concept, promising to give it a price tag of under 25,000 euros ($27,000) for its planned release in 2025.VW CEO Larry Blume has also hinted at a sub-$22,000 EV to be released after 2025.It’s unclear which models would reach U.S. shores. Last year, VW America said it planned to release an under-$35,000 EV in the U.S. by 2027.The price of batteries is one of the main hurdles to reduced EV’s production costs and lower sale prices. VW is developing its own unified battery cell in several European plants, as well as one plant in Ontario, Canada.But in order for would-be U.S. buyers to obtain the Inflation Reduction Act's $7,500 tax credit on the purchase of an EV, the vehicle and its components, including the battery, must be produced at least in part domestically.VW already has a plant in Chattanooga, Tennesse, and is planning a new plant in South Carolina. But it’s unclear whether its new unified battery cells would be built or assembled there.

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Rivian R2 compact SUV: everything you need to know

Rivian R2

The Rivian R2 is set to be the best way to get a Rivian SUV at a reasonable price. Rivian took the wraps off the car earlier this year, and indeed, it hits a lower price -- Rivian estimates that the vehicle will cost $45,000 when it starts delivering in the first half of 2026.

The R2 is kind of a big deal for Rivian, and for the EV space in general. There are plenty of electric crossovers in the $40,000-$50,000 price range, but not all that many actual SUVs. The vehicle follows the likes of the highly sought-after Rivian R1S SUV and R1T pickup, and could have a major impact on the EV space in general.

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5 Rivian features that don’t get enough attention

Rivian R1S Gen 2.

Rivian is getting plenty of attention in the car space these days, thanks largely to its modern-looking vehicles with excellent software, as well as the fact that it has announced an exciting road map for the future. Rivian vehicles in general, however, are packed with features, and not everything about them makes headlines. Of course, that makes sense, but after driving a second-generation Rivian R1S for the past week, I’ve found a variety of features that don’t get the attention they deserve.

There are dozens of little software features and buttons that make the experience of driving a Rivian that much better. Here’s a look at some of my favorite Rivian features that don’t get enough attention.
Driver presets