Rivian's Halloween Update: Transform Your EV into Knight Rider or Back to the Future

Rivian Unveils Spooky New "Car Costumes" for Halloween

As Halloween approaches, Rivian is getting into the spirit by introducing exciting new "car costumes" for its electric vehicles. These fun additions allow drivers to theme their car screens to resemble iconic designs from popular culture, offering a unique experience for Rivian owners.

Features of the New Car Costumes

The software update, set to roll out right after midnight local time on October 18th at 12:01 am, will be available for R1T and R1S vehicles that have the 2024.39 update installed along with the latest version of the Rivian mobile app. Here’s a breakdown of the available themes:

Knight Rider Costume

With the Knight Rider costume, which you can activate via the "Get Spooky" card in the Rivian Mobile App, drivers will see the interior display mimicking K.I.T.T.'s diagnostics along with the original show's intro music. Owners of Generation 2 vehicles will enjoy the added feature of exterior red scanner lights that cascade just like K.I.T.T., complete with the iconic scanner sound effect.

Back to the Future Costume

Fans of the classic film can select the "Time Machine" costume, where the interior screen transforms to display the memorable Back to the Future interface. The app features Gear Guard dressed as Doc Brown, and along with the visuals, drivers will hear the film’s acceleration sound effect.

Haunted Rivian Theme

To embrace the Halloween vibe, drivers can activate the Haunted Rivian theme by selecting the scarecrow Gear Guard in the mobile app. This costume includes eight spooky sound effects and three color themes—purple, yellow, red, and green. The interior display will showcase static and ghostly figures, while Gen 1 vehicles will display a green animation on the exterior. Gen 2 owners can enjoy the chosen color reflected in their exterior light bar, making for a frightfully fun experience.

Enhanced Halloween Experience

In addition to these themes, Rivian vehicles will transform the way they display surrounding obstacles. Pedestrians, cars, and bicyclists will become zombies or headless horsemen, enhancing the spooky ambiance.

There are also additional easter eggs included in the update, featuring crows, pumpkins, and green flames in Camp mode, as well as "spooky" 3D artwork that changes according to the vehicle's various drive modes.

Comparison to Tesla's Holiday Features

Rivian's Halloween updates are reminiscent of similar seasonal updates released by Tesla, such as synchronized Christmas light shows and themed Easter eggs. This kind of feature adds an engaging layer of fun for electric vehicle owners, allowing them to experience their cars in a novel way.

Conclusion

As Rivian embraces the Halloween season, it opens up exciting possibilities for drivers looking to celebrate in style. With these new car costumes, Rivian is not only enhancing user experience but also creating a community around unique and fun interactions with their electric vehicles.