from Hacker News

Volkswagen to invest up to $5B in Rivian

by insaneirish on 6/25/24, 8:24 PM with 130 comments

  • by mertbio on 6/25/24, 8:42 PM

    This deal reminded me the deal that Microsoft invested into Apple in 1997. Rivian has been struggling a lot recently (similar to Apple that time) and now they are going to have enough money to become the Apple of EVs while Tesla becoming the Android.

  • by constantcrying on 6/25/24, 9:27 PM

    Volkswagen is also currently building up a direct competitor to Rivian with Scout Motors.

    What exactly is the goal here? Technology sharing for products?

  • by Tiktaalik on 6/25/24, 11:37 PM

    Kind of feels like Rivian is giving away a hell of a lot to VW for only $5B. They must be really unsure they can make it to R2 launch.

    The really challenging part for the old car companies has been the software and that was Rivian's edge. Now they've given that way and have to compete with VW on purely the hardware side that the old car companies are already good at.

  • by 1970-01-01 on 6/25/24, 9:53 PM

    Rivian needs that extra cash, and VW needs their EV software. This deal will work out nicely for both of them.

  • by JumpCrisscross on 6/25/24, 9:31 PM

    I live in a wealthy part of Wyoming. Rivians are by a decent shot the most popular EV I see driven by locals. (There is one Cybertruck, but I think it's on Turo and mocking it brings the F-250, EV and Subaru drivers together. Plenty of normal Teslas, though.)

  • by neogodless on 6/25/24, 9:44 PM

    A bit of irony in history:

    https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=29247594 EV maker Rivian eclipses Volkswagen in value while Lucid overtakes Ford (ft.com) Nov 16, 2021

  • by cyberax on 6/25/24, 9:11 PM

    PLEASE, fire the moron in Rivian (the CEO?) who doesn't want to integrate CarPlay/AndroidAuto.

    Because this moron thinks that users care about Rivian's "experience" or whatever.

  • by xhevahir on 6/25/24, 9:34 PM

    Here's hoping they put some of that money into coming up with some less-ugly designs.

  • by ncrmro on 6/25/24, 9:59 PM

    Lucid is posed to become the Apple of Electric cars

  • by smlacy on 6/25/24, 9:08 PM

    "Software Defined Vehicles"?

    Really?

  • by rlewkov on 6/25/24, 9:24 PM

    Rivian - circling the drain