Ghostbusters Gear Up: Rivian Collaboration Electrifies Iconic Ecto-R1!

Rivian is once again raising the bar for holiday celebrations with its biggest Halloween event yet, centered around an exciting collaboration with the iconic Ghostbusters franchise. Building upon previous successes like the Knight Rider and Back to the Future themed 'car costumes', this year's partnership promises an even more immersive experience for Rivian owners, featuring extensive light shows, sound effects, and unique vehicle customizations.

A highlight of this year's collaboration is the creation of six custom-built R1S vehicles, dubbed the 'Ecto-R1'. These special editions pay homage to the famous Ecto-1 Cadillac from the Ghostbusters movies, bringing a tangible piece of the cinematic universe to life. Rivian went beyond simple screen and sound enhancements, packing in a wealth of new Easter eggs, officially licensed characters, movie sound effects, and interactive games.

The Halloween experience is delivered via an over-the-air (OTA) software update, which became available on October 9. Owners need to install version 2026.36.0 on their Rivian R1T or R1S, and version 2026.36.40 on their R2 vehicles, along with updating their mobile apps for the full suite of features. This festive update will be accessible until November 2, after which it will disappear, a measure attributed to licensing agreements.

Upon installing the update, a message prompting users to 'hunt some ghosts' will appear on the infotainment screen. Tapping this leads to the new Ghostbusters app, which opens to a retro 1980s-inspired control panel, reminiscent of the Ecto-1's interior. From this interactive panel, users can engage various features: powering everything up with a big red switch to play the full Ghostbusters theme song, activating other music, eight different movie sound effects, and four distinct interior/exterior light and sound shows. The app also allows for playing the Ecto-1 siren, both inside and out, enjoying a themed game, and activating an enhanced 'Trick or Treat Mode'. Hints for discovering all the hidden Easter eggs are also provided within the app.

The Ghostbusters theme extends visually throughout the vehicle's interface. Once the system is powered on, the infotainment and instrument cluster screens, including the navigation app, transform with a Slimer green-over-black color scheme. The drive mode app replaces its usual nature scenes with a depiction of the Ecto-R1 parked in front of the Ghostbusters HQ in New York City, featuring the famous 550 Central Park West building and the dimensional gate from the original film. Furthermore, opening the camera app reveals Slimer flying around the car in the 360-degree camera view, and the interior ambient lighting uniformly shifts to green.

Beyond aesthetic changes, interactive elements are also integrated. If the instrument cluster is set to the Autonomy screen or the vehicle is in Park, the car visually transforms into the Ecto-R1, and pedestrians in the view may appear as zombies. Even the Rivian Yeti mascot in the Gear Guard menu and other locations takes on a ghostly form. Customization extends to sound effects: Gen 1 R1 owners can temporarily change their exterior lock sound to the Ecto-1 siren, while Gen 2 R1 and R2 owners have more options, including the siren, a proton pack sound, or the iconic 'Ghostbusters!' yell from the theme song.