Rivian is way ahead of the game when it comes to putting its Halloween costume together. Beginning tomorrow, a spooky software update can transform any Rivian into a modern Ecto-1 that puts drivers and passengers into their very own Ghostbusters experience.

Halloween Mode unlocks all kinds of lights, sounds, games, and characters that will stick around all season long. Inside the cabin, Halloween-themed characters, including Ghost Guard and Slimer, hide among different screens. Finding them reveals a silly animation and sound. Rivian’s voice assistant joins in on the festivities by speaking in an eerie tone, reading clues, cueing light shows, and playing spooky sound effects.

When parked, the EVs can be entirely consumed by ghostbusting madness. Toggling Halloween Mode on swaps out Rivian’s traditional software interface with Ghostbusters-themed screens and minigames. Trick or Treat Mode takes it a few steps further—the Ghostbusters theme song plays while exterior lights and sound effects match the music. Settings can be changed from inside the car, but they can also be adjusted from the Rivian app, meaning the car can seemingly come to life without anyone in the vehicle. How spooky.

There are four light and sound shows to choose from, and they can even be programmed to start up when the car senses motion near it. For more subtle Halloween fun, new custom lock sounds can replace the traditional chirp with something a bit more eerie.

Spooky effects take a back seat when the car is in motion, but there are still some elements of slime and mischief in the traditional infotainment screens. The standard Rivian graphic that appears on the gauge cluster wears Ecto-1 markings, and white text is replaced with lime green in dark mode. While charging, Slimer can be found swimming through the green battery percentage indicator.

To really bring the Ghostbusters experience to life, though, Rivian transformed a few of its R1S SUVs into an Ecto-R1 army, complete with white wheels, sirens, spotlights, side tanks, and the iconic “No Ghost” logo. These Ecto-R1 models will be shown during events at Rivian’s retail stores throughout the Halloween season. The ghostbusting EV will also pop up at other Halloween-themed events this month, including the NYC Village Halloween Parade.

Halloween Mode rolls out on October 9 and will be available with the latest software version. The optional Ghostbusters takeover lasts until November 2.

Alayna Wilkening grew up reading motorsport magazines and following her grandpa around his Chevrolet dealership's showroom floor. In true Hoosier fashion, her first car was a hot pink custom cardboard "Fiero-vette" for her kindergarten Kindy 500 race. She now autocrosses a 1994 Miata with her dad, which she learned to drive the night before her first event. Alayna went to Indiana University and graduated with a degree in journalism and a minor in graphic design. As a testament to her great taste in cars, her first real one was a metallic orange 2007 Chevy HHR, which she lovingly called "The Dumptruck."

Extracted and lightly reformatted for readability. · Source: pt