$7.5B
1,600
$5.8B
30%
From Crisis to Transformation: The Cariad Journey
Cariad's transformation story represents one of the automotive industry's most dramatic corporate turnarounds. Founded in 2020 as the Car.Software Organization under former Volkswagen Group CEO Herbert Diess, the company was positioned to become the "software powerhouse" that would lead VW's digital transformation.
When Peter Bosch was appointed CEO effective June 1, 2023, the former Bentley production chief inherited a division in crisis. Early Volkswagen ID.3 and ID.4 owners experienced laggy and buggy infotainment systems, while software development delays pushed back crucial premium model launches by nearly two years.
Financial Performance: The Hard Numbers
Challenge Focus: Initial struggles with software quality and delayed platform development.
Turning Point: Leadership change marks strategic pivot toward external partnerships.
Stabilization Phase: Higher sales revenue due to increased licensing from vehicle volumes while preparing for major restructuring.
The Rivian Gambit: A $5.8 Billion Strategic Pivot
The joint venture is designed as a 50-50 partnership with co-CEOs, led by Rivian's head of software Wassym Bensaid and Volkswagen Group's chief technical engineer Carsten Helbing. The partnership represents VW's acknowledgment that internal software development alone cannot compete in the software-defined vehicle era.
Teams based in Palo Alto, California initially, with three other sites in development across North America and Europe for comprehensive software development.
Rivian's electrical architecture and software technology stack will enable the R2 launch in first half of 2026 and VW Group models as early as 2027.
$1 billion convertible note already made, $1.3 billion for IP licenses and equity stake, with remaining $3.5 billion tied to specific milestones.
After signing the deal, VW cancelled Cariad's E3 2.0 software platform, marking the end of the ambitious in-house development approach.
When you take on a task that everyone knows is difficult, you don't do it expecting constant applause. But we delivered.
Workforce Transformation: The Human Cost
Restructuring Reality
Volkswagen plans to lay off 1,600 staff at its Cariad software unit by the end of the year, representing nearly 30% of the workforce. The layoffs will mainly take place via redundancy programmes as part of a comprehensive transformation plan agreed in 2023.
The downsizing reflects Cariad's new focus areas: cloud infrastructure, advanced driver assistance systems (ADAS) and infotainment, while autonomous driving development has been pushed back to the end of the decade.
Regional Strategy Shifts
In North America, Cariad is mostly staffed by Rivian personnel as part of the joint venture partnership, creating integrated development teams.
In China, development, design, and production are all local to meet specific consumer expectations and regulatory demands through Xpeng partnership.
We are now significantly cheaper per vehicle in the cloud than the competition, demonstrating measurable efficiency improvements.
Our employees know, write, understand, and change the code — even via over-the-air updates, ensuring technical autonomy.
Market Impact and Industry Implications
Cariad's transformation demonstrates the challenges traditional automakers face in developing software competencies internally. The shift from "not invented here" to strategic partnerships reflects broader industry recognition that software development requires different organizational DNA than traditional automotive engineering.
