TLDR

Multiple automakers are now “knocking on the door” to license Rivian’s software platform following its $ 5.8 billion VW deal, validating predictions that Rivian would become the automotive industry’s Android. With VW’s first models launching in 2027 and other OEMs actively negotiating access, traditional ECU suppliers face accelerating disruption as the industry embraces Rivian’s architecture that cuts wiring by 1.6 miles and reduces ECU counts by 70%.

The automotive industry’s software revolution just accelerated. “I’d say that many other OEMs are knocking on our door,”Rivian Chief Software Officer Wassym Bensaid revealed in a January 2025 interview, confirming what industry insiders predicted: Rivian is becoming the Android of automotive.