Rivian does Halloween better than any car company on the planet. Every fall the cars get a spooky over-the-air update, and this year they went all in: a full Ghostbusters takeover built with Sony Pictures, a real-life Ecto-1 called the Ecto-R1, and a new ad starring the original Ghostbuster himself, Bill Murray. I got to see the Ecto-R1 in person last week, and here's everything coming to your Rivian.
Hands-on: my Ecto-R1 walkthrough
I filmed the Ecto-R1 up close at the reveal in Santa Ana, and the full walkthrough is live on my Instagram: watch it here. A few things that stood out in person:
- The roof rack is loaded: blue emergency lights, a siren, and prop equipment stacked on top.
- Open the rear hatch and there is a pull-out shelf with a proton pack, PKE meter, and ghost trap. I put the proton pack on and grabbed the wand, it is the full costume.
- Inside, the center touchscreen runs a Ghostbusters control interface with buttons for the Proton Pack, Siren, Ghost Trap, and sound effects. It takes over the gauge cluster too.
- Check the rear-view camera and there is an animated Slimer floating in it, and there is an animated cartoon version of the Ecto-R1 baked into the screens.
The campaign
For Halloween 2026, Rivian partnered with Sony Pictures to bring the Ghostbusters universe into its vehicles, built on Rivian's vertically integrated hardware and software stack. The campaign is anchored by a new spot starring original Ghostbuster Bill Murray, directed by Gil Kenan (co-writer of Ghostbusters: Afterlife, director and co-writer of Ghostbusters: Frozen Empire) and produced with Bob Industries. The spot opens mid-chaos in a house with flickering lights and appliances running wild, until something outside catches the spirit's attention. When you need the big guns, you call the original.
The Ecto-R1
Photos: Rivian
Alongside the spot, Rivian built a real-life, fully custom Ecto-1, called the Ecto-R1, reimagining the 1984 classic through Rivian's own design language:
- 22-inch Aero wheels with white-painted covers, brightened from their usual dark finish to bright silver, a nod to the chrome hub caps on the original car
- A signature red graphic sweeping across the body line, with the iconic No-Ghost logo on the hood and front doors
- A roof rack with every functional accessory mirroring the original film car: sirens, spotlights, radar dish, and side tanks, while the rack structure itself is pure Rivian with its distinctive stadium silhouette
- A subtle compass design visible only from a top-down view
- Up front, the frunk is transformed into a ghost trap, dressed with fake wiring and mechanical bits
- The rear cargo area carries a pull-out shelf with a proton pack, PKE meter, and ghost trap
- Vintage emergency lights sourced and restored, with the custom frame and every accessory housing fabricated in-house by Rivian's Special Projects team
Full-scale Ecto-R1 builds are popping up in Rivian retail spaces in Laguna Beach, Austin, Venice, Miami Brickell, San Francisco, and New York City's Meatpacking District, each with local celebrations, plus the NYC Village Halloween Parade and a Menchie's Frozen Yogurt popup in Los Angeles.
The 2026 Halloween software suite
Photo: Rivian
The over-the-air update starts rolling out October 8. R1 vehicles need software version 2026.36.0 and R2 vehicles need 2026.36.40. Once updated, a prompt appears on the driver display asking if you'd like to "hunt some ghosts," which takes you straight to the new Ghostbusters app. Halloween Mode runs from October 9 through November 2, 2026.
- Ghostbusters app: a dedicated in-vehicle app that pulls the whole season together. Open it while parked and the driver display transforms; switch it on before driving and key visual cues stay active, with the full feature set reserved for Park. A single red toggle switch syncs interior lighting, themed audio, and exterior displays.
- Trick or Treat Mode: the driver and rear displays are taken over, the Ghostbusters theme song plays, and exterior lights and sound effects switch to match. It's customizable from the center display, and the Rivian mobile app carries the same controls, including Trick or Treat, exterior effects, music, and sound effects.
- Lights & Sounds: pick between Ecto-1, Proton Pack, Slimer, Ghost Trap, Peter Venkman, or Random. Each pairs custom exterior LED sequences with iconic soundscapes. Trigger a show on demand or enable Motion Mode so the vehicle reacts when someone walks past.
- Custom lock sounds: swap the lock sound to Ecto-1 on R1 Gen 1; on R1 Gen 2 and R2, choose between Ecto-1, Proton Pack, or Chant.
- Scavenger hunt: interactive clue cards send you hunting for hidden characters inside familiar screens, including Drive Modes, Gear Guard settings, side cameras, and the Energy app. Finding a Ghost Guard or Slimer character triggers a unique animation and audio.
- Voice assistant: Rivian Assistant picks up an eerie tone for the season. Ask it to run an exterior light show, read a hunt clue, or play a specific sound effect.
- 'Mallow Mash: a center-screen arcade experience where you pop Mini-Pufts marshmallow men against the clock while parked.
Why this matters
Every Halloween update is Rivian flexing the same muscle: the car is a rolling computer, and it gets better over the air. A Ghostbusters partnership with custom light shows, a scavenger hunt, and a Bill Murray ad is the fun version of a very serious point, that Rivian can redesign the entire experience of owning the car with a software push. Nobody else in the industry does seasonal updates like this.
Source: Rivian press package, October 2026. Update rollout and Halloween Mode dates per Rivian. Walkthrough video: @pushingpistons on Instagram. Photos: Rivian / @pushingpistons.