Rivian gets Knight Rider spooky for Halloween

By Nick Godt Published October 20, 2024

Michael Knight sitting on the hood of his car KITT in a scene from Knight Rider. — Photo 12 / Alamy Stock Photo

Rivian vehicles are known for giving drivers the chance to take the party on the road, whether it’s stowing a travel kitchen onboard or using its elaborate software systems to spice things up.

With Halloween just around the corner, the automaker based in Plymouth, Michigan, is pulling out some treats from its bag of tricks: Rivian owners are getting a number of options to turn their vehicles into traditional spooky or full-on sci-fi entertainment hubs.

A software update available on the Rivian Mobile App until November 4 provides Car Costumes, which take over the vehicle’s screen, lighting, and sound systems while in park to transform it into three different cars.

Nostalgic fans of the Knight Rider TV series will be pleased with the option to turn their Rivians into the famous K.I.T.T. crime-fighting car. After choosing the option on the app, the car’s interior display system features K.I.T.T.’s diagnostics on screen while playing the original show intro music.

Here’s an extra treat for Rivian Gen 2 owners: The exterior light bar will feature K.I.T.T.’s iconic beaming red light while playing its scanner sound effect.

No-less nostalgic fans of Back to the Future movies will also get their treat with a chance to turn their vehicle into the DeLorean Time Machine. With this option, the screen turns into the classic time-traveling interface while the audio system plays the movie’s music and acceleration sound effects.

Once again, Rivian Gen 2 owners get an extra treat. Hitting the key 88 mph button will engage the car’s lighting and sound effects in the front and back of the car to whizz you through the sound barrier.

For a more traditional spooky time, you can opt for the Haunted Rivian car costume, featuring eight different sound effects and three different color themes. Static and ghosts will take over your interior display.

Rivian Gen 1 owners get a green animation on the outside of the vehicle. Gen 2 owners can turn the exterior light bar into whichever color option they find most frightful.

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Freelance reporter

Nick Godt has covered global business news on three continents for over 25 years.

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And for those with range anxiety, this software update purportedly helps with battery efficiency – though the exact numbers have not been released.
You might be wondering why these updates are coming after the vehicles have already been delivered. After all, a lot of vehicles come with these features from day one. While no official Rivian spokesperson has commented, unofficially the response has been that they want to make sure the experience is perfect for their customers and that means extensive testing and cautious rollouts over time.
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Here is a shortened list of other new features and bugs that the latest Rivian software update addresses:

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