Tesla vs Rivian Halloween Mode 2026: Which Goes Deeper?

Tesla and Rivian both pushed Halloween modes this month. Tesla’s went out in software 2026.38.3 on October 6, and Rivian’s Ghostbusters update reached every R1 and R2 on October 9 with 2026.36. Rivian’s stays live through November 2.

It’s Tesla’s first Halloween mode, and Not a Tesla App broke down what’s in it. You get a ghost costume on the car’s avatar and a Trick or Treat setting that plays spooky sounds and flickers the lights when someone walks up. There’s also a light show, wraps, a lock sound and a Halloween Photobooth.

Rivian’s been the Halloween king for five years now, and this year’s update goes a lot deeper. Everything runs from one red toggle in a new Ghostbusters app. There are exterior light and sound shows for the Ecto-1, Proton Pack, Slimer, Ghost Trap and Peter Venkman, and Motion Mode kicks one off any time someone walks by the car. You also get a scavenger hunt with characters hidden in Drive Modes, Gear Guard, the side cameras and the Energy app, a parked game called ‘Mallow Mash, and a creepy voice for Rivian Assistant.

Rivian licensed it through Sony Pictures and got Bill Murray for the ad, with Gil Kenan directing. It also built full Ecto-R1s for six of its spaces, from Laguna Beach to Miami Brickell.

You might remember Tesla went the licensing route last October with Tron: Ares. That update turned the car’s avatar into a Light Cycle the week the movie came out, and a lot of owners called it an in-car ad. Ghostbusters is a licensed deal too, but it rides on a Halloween tradition Rivian owners already wait for every year. There’s also enough to play with that you’d want it even if you’ve somehow never seen Ghostbusters, and if that’s you, go watch one of the best cult classics out there before Halloween gets here.

This is the first Halloween for R2 owners, and I’ll be running Motion Mode on my R1S now that Rivian gave us 25 days instead of last year’s 11. If Tesla sticks with Halloween, I’d expect next year’s version to pick up a licensed theme of its own.

Jose Castillo Founder and Editor

Jose Castillo is the founder of RivianTrackr and has owned and driven Rivians since early in the brand's consumer history. He currently drives an R1S and an R2 in Florida and uses Universal Hands-Free every day. As a credentialed Rivian journalist, he has covered the R2 First Drive in Park City and SXSW firsthand and has spoken directly with Rivian's software and autonomy leadership.

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