AI as Foundation: How Rivian Is Architecting the Future of Automotive

What’s harder: transforming a century-old carmaker for the digital age, or building one from scratch with no safety net? In this special episode, Zero100 Executive in Residence Jim Rowan – former CEO of Volvo Cars and Dyson – reunites with his former Volvo colleague Javier Varela, now Chief Operations Officer at Rivian, to explore how a software-first foundation is paving the way for AI-defined operations. Javier shares how Rivian uses the vehicle itself as part of the factory system, why early architectural choices helped cut the R2’s bill of materials in half, and how its homegrown “Large Driving Model” and custom silicon position the company to win in autonomy.