Volkswagen Group's joint venture with Rivian has achieved a significant milestone, completing winter testing of Rivian's technology in VW vehicles. This milestone unlocks an additional $1 billion in investment from Volkswagen Group in Rivian. The joint venture aims to develop a "next generation electrical/electronic architecture" for the next-generation of EV vehicles. Volkswagen Group initially invested $5 billion initially, while gaining immediate access to Rivian’s electronics architecture and software development. Two years later, Rivian technology has contributed to the development of a new Software Defined Vehicle (SDV) architecture. The German automaker plans to use this architecture in its next development phase, which will involve individual Group brands like Audi and Porsche.