• by Tanya Gazdik , October 17, 2024

Electric vehicle automaker Rivian is clearly a fan of Halloween.

For the past few years, the brand has celebrated Halloween with its owner community through special hidden treats made possible by Rivian's deeply integrated software platform.

This season, Rivian is introducing several ways for its owners to get into the spooky holiday spirit, including a first for the brand: car costumes. The fun begins with an over-the-air software update on Oct. 18. 

Once downloaded to the vehicle, owners will find a Get Spooky card on the main page of the Rivian Mobile App. From there they can select one of three options, each inspired by iconic and classic vehicles from entertainment and pop culture.

While in park, owners will see their vehicle transform with classic lighting, sound, and design references to NBC Universal’s "Knight Rider" TV series or  Universal Pictures and Amblin Entertainment’s "Back to the Future," plus a spooky Haunted Rivian option.

What is available is dependent on the generation of vehicle -- the brand's early vehicles, dating back to 2021, are referred to as first generation, while second generation models began rolling out earlier this year. 

For example, in the Knight Rider mode, owners of newer models will see the exterior lightbar cascade a red beam just like K.I.T.T. and exude its iconic scanner sound effect, creating the ultimate Knight Rider experience.

The brand created a YouTube short that gave a sneak preview of the Halloween promotion that posted 10 days ago.  It was joined today by a 30-second spot featuring David Hasselhoff, a nod to "Knight Rider."

Rivian owners will find other  surprises thanks to the software update, including the ability to change the door lock sound to an owl chirp or other spooky sounds. 

The fun continues even when the car is in “drive.” 

Pedestrians on the driver display have also turned into zombies, and bicyclists and motorcyclists are headless horsemen. Plus, Camp mode has gotten a chilling update, featuring crows, pumpkins, and even green flames at nighttime.

The Rivian treats -- no tricks -- are available for a limited time, until Nov. 4, according to the automaker.