Adventure Readiness Specialist

Rivian's annual Halloween mode goes Ghostbusters with officially licensed movie sounds, games, and A spooky voice assistant. Add Jalopnik on Google: Automakers love to celebrate the holidays, but there's no getting around the fact that a lot of what they do is just lame. And yes, that includes essentially every April Fools press release in at least the last 15 years. That said, connected cars and increased onboard processing power give brands a lot more options for their holiday celebrations. And sometimes they pull it off. Like Rivian did with this year's Ghostbusters-themed Halloween mode update, which will go live to owners on October 9. As you can see in the image above, Rivian, one of its most whimsical automakers, designed an Ecto-1-inspired R1S for the occasion that it's calling the Ecto-R1. It could have been incredibly cheesy, but it actually looks pretty rad, especially with the updated 22-inch Aero wheels. Rivian also secured a licensing deal with Sony, so the graphics on the front doors are the real deal. And Rivian actually built this thing: The roof rack is where its design team really leaned into the details. While every functional accessory including the sirens, spotlights, radar dish, and side tanks mirrors the original film car, the rack structure itself is pure Rivian with its distinctive stadium silhouette. Jalopnik also integrated a subtle compass design visible only from a top-down view. While the vintage emergency lights were sourced and restored, the custom frame and every accessory housing were fabricated in-house by its Special Projects team. Halloween mode 2026. Unfortunately for the few Ghostbusters fans still young enough to drive, Halloween mode won't transform their R1S into the Ecto-R1. Owners will, however, get the option to enjoy a Ghostbusters-themed driving experience if they want. Open the in-vehicle app while parked, and you'll have the option to choose one of several theme packs - Ecto-1, Proton Pack, Slimer, Ghost Trap, Peter Venkman, or Random - that play their own LED light shows and officially licensed sounds, as well as changing the sound the car makes when it locks or unlocks. Continuing the theme, Rivian says its voice assistant "picks up a distinctively eerie tone for the season" and can be used to activate light shows. And while they aren't playable while driving, the update adds two seasonal games that can be played from the infotainment screen. The release also says "key visual cues stay active" while driving, but it isn't clear on what those are exactly. Oh, and there's a Trick-or-Treat mode that starts a light show and plays the "Ghostbusters" theme. Sure, it's completely unnecessary, but who cares? No one's forcing anyone to use the mode if they don't want to, and it seems like the kind of thing the grandkids will love. Heck, depending on the kid, it might be the coolest thing they've ever seen. Children are, after all, easily impressed, and anything with flashing lights and fun sounds is sure to be a hit. That probably changes at some point, but it's not like I have any idea how old they are when it happens. Twelve, maybe? Even if you don't own a Rivian, you may also enjoy the ad that goes along with the Halloween update's release. It features Bill Murray, the actor who starred in the original "Ghostbusters" more than 40 years ago.

Who you gonna call?: Rivian's 2026 Halloween update is Ghostbusters themed. Oct 8, at 4:00pm ET Picture it now. You wake up on the morning of October 9th, there's something strange in your garage. It does look pretty good though, Rivian does a decent job designing vehicles. Anyway, who are you gonna call? The 2026 Rivian Halloween update is here, and this year the theme is "Ghostbusters." The mode, which features plenty of green and the fictional phantom hunting company's classic logo, and an interactive game you can play while parked. Previous themes have included pop culture icons like Knight Rider and Back to the Future, but this may well be the furthest they've gone with a Halloween update. They've even partnered with Gil Kenan, Co-Writer of Ghostbusters: Afterlife and Director/Co-Writer of Ghostbusters: Frozen Empire, to shoot a spot starring legendary Ghostbuster Bill Murray. If you want to join in the celebrations, Rivian has Ecto-R1s on display at its dealerships in Laguna Beach, Austin, Venice, Miami Brickell, San Francisco, and the New York City Meatpacking District. Other events Rivian will be popping up at include NYC Village Halloween Parade and the Menchie's Frozen Yogurt popup in Los Angeles. In addition to the Ecto-R1, these events feature limited-edition merch and themed refreshments. What do you get with this year's Rivian Halloween update? As with all Rivian Halloween updates, the temporary mode totally transforms the inside of your vehicle. In this case users can choose between several packs, each of which modify the vehicle's lighting and sounds. The choices this year are: Ecto-1, Proton Pack, Slimer, Ghost Trap, Peter Venkman, or Random. You can also trigger a show on demand, or if you want to spook members of the public enable "motion mode" which makes the vehicle react to random passers by. Rivian's voice assistant, which has also been spookified for the rest of October, can be told to play specific sound effects and launch an exterior light show. Custom lock sounds are also part of the package, with the Rivian R1 Gen 1 playing an "Ecto-1" sound and both the R1 Gen 2 and R2 coming with a choice of Ecto-1, Proton Pack, or Chant Rivian has also added a "scavenger hunt" mode which has you reading clue cards and scouring the infotainment menu for hidden characters. If you spot a ghost guide or Slimer in the drive modes menu, gear guard settings, side cameras, or the energy app you'll get a unique animation and some audio to go with it. The voice assistant will also provide some extra clues should you need them. Finally, Rivian has added 'Mallow Mash, a new arcade experience you can play on the vehicle's center screen. In the game, you pop "Mini-Puft" marshmallow men against the clock. If you feel bad for the little fellows, remember a giant version of them did attempt to eat Manhattan before the Ghostbusters got in the way. Like several of the interactive elements, the game only works while you're parked. So there's no chance of playing it while zipping down a high way, you'll have to wait until Rivian gets to Level 3 Self Driving for that. How do you get Rivian's Halloween Update on your vehicle? Rivian's Halloween pack comes as a free over the air update which should land on October 9, 2026. Unfortunately, it is only temporary, so you probably won't be taking an electric Ecto-1 to Thanksgiving dinner. Another update set to land around November 2. If your vehicle is set to update automatically, and your app is up to date, you shouldn't really have to do anything. You'll just get into the vehicle and notice something strange is going on and see a popup asking if you'd like to "hunt some ghosts." After that the Ghostbusters app should be available on your display. Inside that app is a red toggle switch, which controls the whole experience. If it's November 9, and your vehicle is still looking as normal as ever, you should probably check for updates and run any that are available manually. THE LOT via The Lot Agree or laugh out loud? ROOKIE " DRIVER " ENTHUSIAST " EXPERT " LEGEND THE LOT Owner community

Rivian's new 'Pet Cam' lets you watch your dog from your phone. Marcus Lewinsky Thu, October 8, 2026 at 1:44 PM PDT Rivian is bringing a new Pet Cam feature to the R2 through an over-the-air update, letting owners watch their dogs inside the cabin via live stream. The feature is exclusive to the R2. It draws on the interior camera mounted behind the rearview mirror glass to display the cabin in full-color, high-definition. Owners launch the stream through Gear Guard. The interface shows the cabin temperature alongside the video. If a continuous feed isn't practical, the Rivian app pushes new snapshots to a phone's lock screen so owners can glance quickly. Rivian says that more than 60% of the people who own its vehicles bring pets along, a figure it has cited as a driver of its pet-focused feature set. The live streaming carries a cost. Access requires a subscription to Rivian's Connect+ plan at $14.99 per month, and Gear Guard Live Cam caps streaming at one hour each day. The system can detect whether a person, rather than a dog, is in the car and will deny monitoring in that case, per Rivian. If the stream is activated while someone is seated in the cabin, that person can deactivate it from the touchscreen with a single tap. Alongside the R2-only Pet Cam, the update brings changes to Pet Mode that extend to R1T and R1S owners through the Rivian app. Owners can now remotely activate and deactivate Pet Mode from the app. That helps if they drove off without switching it on. The update also adds in-app protection against accidentally toggling Pet Mode on or off. The same over-the-air update finally brings Rivian Assistant to the R2. This AI-powered voice system has been on the R1 for some time. Anyone in the R2 can now control climate, media, and navigation, or ask general questions, by saying "Hey, Rivian," or through the Halo Wheel on the steering wheel. Tesla owners moving to Rivian will recognize much of this, since Tesla vehicles have offered similar cabin-camera monitoring and Grok integration for a while.