"Rivian Transforms Its Electric Vehicles with Spooky Software in the Style of KITT from 'Knight Rider'."
The Headless Horseman, ghosts, and Back to the Future are prominent elements in the story.
Rivian has decided to celebrate Halloween with a software update that allows owners of its R1 electric SUVs to transform their vehicles into famous pop culture icons. Through this update, users will be able to configure their vehicle to resemble KITT from Knight Rider, the time machine from Back to the Future, or even a haunted scarecrow that will scare passersby with unsettling owl sounds.
This is not a tasteless April Fool's joke, but a temporary update aimed at making the conversation about software-defined vehicles more enjoyable. Once users update the smartphone app and the vehicle (wirelessly), they can choose from several “Car Costumes” that will modify the infotainment system, exterior lighting, and even sound effects in some cases.
While parked (for legal reasons), owners will need to find the “Get Spooky” card on the main page of the Rivian mobile app and then select the Gear Guard dressed as Michael Knight to activate a Knight Rider-inspired software package. The main screen of the infotainment system will display KITT’s diagnostics and play the show's iconic theme music, allowing owners to emulate their lead actor on the way to work.
Second-generation R1 owners will enjoy an exterior light bar that emits a red beam and reproduces the signature scanner sound, thus creating the ultimate Knight Rider experience. For those who are more fans of Back to the Future, Rivian offers the option to transform the R1 into a Time Machine, although not literally. The DeLorean interface will appear on the infotainment screen, complete with music and sound effects from the movie.
Additionally, second-generation owners will have a button that simulates reaching 88 mph, which will activate themed lighting and sound effects at both the front and rear of the vehicle.
While Knight Rider and Back to the Future may not be the first references that come to mind for Halloween, Rivian has also created a haunted “Car Costume” that includes static video similar to The Ring and flying ghosts on the vehicle’s screens. Owners will be able to choose from eight different sound effects and three color themes, including Halloween classics like purple, yellow, red, and green. Second-generation owners will also be able to select a spooky color for the external light bar. For legal reasons, all this fun is limited to when the car is parked.
Additionally, owners will be surprised with other fun seasonal 'easter eggs,' for example, on the driver assistance screen, where a camera system transforms pedestrians into zombies and cyclists into headless knights. Rivian has noted that this Halloween fun will only be available until November 4, before likely being replaced with holiday decorations.