Volkswagen’s Desperate Attempt to Steal Talent from Rivian Exposed
In a shocking move, Volkswagen Group has been secretly poaching top talent from Rivian’s software development team, even before announcing a joint venture with the electric vehicle startup. The German automaker’s struggling software arm, Cariad, has hired at least 23 of Rivian’s most skilled engineers, including its chief software officer, chief product security officer, and several vice presidents.
This mass hiring spree is a clear indication of VW’s desperation to catch up with the likes of Tesla, and its willingness to do whatever it takes to get ahead. The fact that Cariad is building a new software development hub in Mountain View, California, staffed with Rivian’s best and brightest, raises serious questions about the integrity of the joint venture with Rivian.
Cariad’s Software Arm: A Disaster Waiting to Happen
Cariad’s track record is checkered, to say the least. The company has been plagued by delays, executive shakeups, and a reputation for poor management. Its software 1.2 platform was originally supposed to be completed in 2022, but is only now being rolled out in a limited capacity. The 2.0 architecture, touted as the key to VW’s future success, is still in development and faces numerous hurdles.
By hiring talent from Rivian, Cariad is trying to fix its own broken software development processes, but it’s a Band-Aid solution at best. The real problem lies with Cariad’s own management and culture, which needs a fundamental overhaul.
Ford’s Low-Blow: A Peek into the Cutthroat World of EV Development
Meanwhile, Ford’s secretive low-cost EV project has been quietly poaching workers from Rivian, Tesla, Lucid Motors, and even Apple’s disbanded Project Titan. This game of talent poaching is a reflection of the cutthroat world of electric vehicle development, where companies will stop at nothing to get ahead.
In the end, the question remains: what does this say about the integrity of the joint venture between VW and Rivian? Are VW’s motives pure, or are they simply trying to steal technology and talent from a competitor? One thing is certain: the stakes are high, and the battle for electric vehicle supremacy is far from over.
