Rivian is bringing a little paranormal activity to its electric lineup this Halloween. Developed with Sony Pictures, a new Ghostbusters-themed software experience transforms the R1T, R1S and R2 into interactive tributes to the franchise, complete with supernatural sound effects, coordinated light sequences, slime-green displays and a digital ghost hunt.
Available through an over-the-air update from October 9 to November 2, 2026, the project takes the automaker’s annual Halloween tradition into the territory of cinematic role-play.
Activation begins in a dedicated Ghostbusters app, where a prominent red switch sets the experience in motion. The vehicles respond with lighting and audio inspired by the films’ best-known equipment and characters, from the Proton Pack and Ghost Trap to Slimer and Peter Venkman. Exterior LEDs flash in synchronised patterns, while a motion-sensitive feature can trigger effects when someone approaches the car. Trick or Treat Mode adds another layer, letting owners greet Halloween visitors with themed sounds and lights controlled through the dashboard, smartphone or compatible Apple Watch.
Inside, Rivian’s digital interface gets its own supernatural makeover. Slime-green graphics appear across the displays, with familiar Ghostbusters characters turning up in unexpected places. A scavenger hunt sends passengers through different sections of the interface, including driving modes, security settings, side-camera views and the energy app, searching for hidden ghosts. Each discovery unlocks additional animations and audio cues, turning routine interactions with the vehicle’s software into part of the game.
Rivian’s voice assistant joins the performance, responding to requests for clues and sound effects with a suitably eerie personality. There is also Mallow Mash, an arcade-style game in which players race against the clock to catch miniature Stay Puft marshmallow characters on the central touchscreen. The more elaborate interactive features are designed for use while parked, with selected visual elements remaining available during regular driving.
The experience depends entirely on software rather than physical alterations to the production vehicles. That distinction matters as automakers increasingly build entertainment and personalisation into their digital systems. For a few weeks, Rivian owners can give their vehicles a temporary identity drawn from one of cinema’s most recognisable supernatural comedies, without changing the underlying hardware.
Meet the Ecto-R1
The collaboration extends beyond the screen with the Ecto-R1, a custom-built vehicle developed by Rivian’s Special Projects team. Based on the R1S SUV, the project reinterprets the Ghostbusters’ famous Ecto-1, originally a modified 1959 Cadillac ambulance, through Rivian’s electric platform.
The white body carries sweeping red graphics, with the franchise’s ghost emblem displayed on the hood and doors. Silver-finished wheels recall the chrome detailing of the original movie car, while a bespoke roof rack holds vintage emergency lights, spotlights, a radar dish and equipment inspired by the fictional technology used to track paranormal activity. The familiar visual language remains intact, adapted to a vehicle with a very different mechanical foundation.
The Ecto-R1 also features in a promotional film starring Bill Murray, who returns to the world of Ghostbusters for a campaign developed with filmmaker Gil Kenan. Several physical builds are scheduled to appear at Rivian retail locations and Halloween events across the United States, giving the project a presence beyond the vehicle’s digital interface.
The software experience ends on November 2, but its larger appeal lies in how much of a car’s identity can now be changed through code. Lighting, audio, displays and voice interaction operate as parts of a coordinated system, allowing a production SUV to adopt the personality of a film prop without permanent modification. Rivian’s Halloween experiment puts that flexibility to work for pure entertainment — and gives the Ecto-1 legacy an electric successor for the season.
