- Rivian's Halloween 2024 software update brings '80s pop culture inside the R1S and R1T.
- Retro gauges, exterior light shows and iconic sound effects make their way to the electric trucks.
Halloween is just two weeks away and the folks at Rivian are getting their holiday spirits fired up. This year, the makers of the R1S and R1T are giving owners the ability to transform their battery-powered adventure vehicles into legendary rides like K.I.T.T. from Night Rider and Doc Brown’s Time Machine from Back to the Future.
This–and more–are part of this year’s Halloween software update that will go live tomorrow and customers will have access to all the graphic goodies until November 4. Both the vehicle and the smartphone app have to be on the latest version and then the fun can begin.
First up, let’s talk about what Rivian calls Car Costumes. While in Park, Rivian’s EVs can display K.I.T.T.’s iconic diagnostics on the interior screens and play the original show intro music. Moreover, the Gear Guard yeti gets a Michael Knight makeover and, for Gen 2 owners (that’s the 2025 R1S and R1T), the exterior light bar will cascade a red beam and play K.I.T.T.’s iconic scanner sound that kept kids and adults alike glued to their TV screens back in the 1980s.
Gallery: Rivian Halloween Update 2024
The second Car Costume is inspired by the DeLorean in Back to the Future. Using the mobile app, owners can select the Time Machine and watch as the Gear Guard gets dressed in Doc Brown attire and the car’s screens get a retro makeover. The speakers will also pump out music and the Time Machine acceleration sound effect from the film. For Gen 2 owners, an extra perk is included: Hit the 88mph button on the screen, and the car’s front and rear lights will do a little movie-inspired show, along with playing the appropriate sound effects.
The third and final Car Costume is called Haunted Rivian. After activating it, a scarecrow takes the yeti’s place in the Gear Guard section and the interior screens offer three color themes to choose from, including purple, yellow and green. Gen 1 owners will get a green animation on the vehicle’s exterior, while Gen 2 owners’ EVs will show whichever color option was selected for the interior.
Similar to last year’s Halloween software update, this year’s distro shows pedestrians as zombies and bicyclists and motorcyclists as headless horsemen on the driver display while driving. Camp Mode gets some Halloween action, too, with crows pumpkins and green flames at nighttime. Additionally, Rivian added back the Owl chirp sound when locking the vehicle, and there are also two extra spooky chirp options for Gen 1 owners and four for Gen 2 drivers.
