Each week I bring you the top stories in the auto industry along with my commentary or sometimes amusing thoughts about the craziness that goes on in the world of cars.
WHO YA GONNA CALL? APPARENTLY, RIVIAN!
Rivian has decided that Halloween deserves more than a plastic skeleton hanging from your rearview mirror, and this year the electric vehicle maker is going all-in on Ghostbusters. Beginning October 9 and running through November 2, Rivian owners can download a special Halloween Mode developed in partnership with Sony Pictures that transforms their vehicles into rolling tributes to the 1984 movie. The software update brings officially licensed Ghostbusters sounds, special lighting effects, spooky graphics and even a voice assistant that gets into the Halloween spirit. Owners can choose sound effects inspired by the Ecto-1, proton packs, Slimer and ghost traps, while certain models can flash their exterior lights and play sounds when someone walks past. There’s also a scavenger hunt that hides Ghostbusters characters throughout the vehicle’s touchscreen menus and a game called ’Mallow Mash, where drivers can pop miniature Stay Puft Marshmallow Men on the screen while parked. For the full experience, Trick or Treat Mode activates the Ghostbusters theme song, changes the displays and coordinates the vehicle’s lighting and sound effects. Rivian even built a real-life Ghostbusters-inspired R1S called the Ecto-R1, complete with the famous No-Ghost logos, special wheels, rooftop emergency lights, a radar dish and other equipment inspired by the movie’s legendary Cadillac ambulance. And just to make sure nobody misses the connection, Rivian recruited original Ghostbusters star Bill Murray for a promotional commercial. The update is available for Rivian R1 and R2 vehicles, although some effects depend on the vehicle’s hardware. I have to give Rivian credit for creativity. Most automakers spend their time trying to convince us their vehicles are exciting. Rivian apparently decided the best way to do that was to make one look like it could chase a ghost through Manhattan. My only question is whether the warranty covers getting slimed.
GAS STATION OWNER FINDS A NEW WAY TO RAISE PRICES
As if gasoline prices weren't high enough already, a New Jersey gas station owner has agreed to pay $17,500 after investigators discovered that customers were being charged more for gasoline than the advertised price. Rajinder Chandi owns three stations in Ocean County, New Jersey, including two Delta stations and a Sunoco, and apparently some customers were paying a little more than they bargained for. After complaints about pricing discrepancies, investigators from the county's Division of Weights and Measures and Office of Consumer Protection started looking into the operations and uncovered what officials described as a pattern of deceptive business practices. According to the Asbury Park Press, Chandi faced 44 alleged civil infractions, including violations involving weights and measures. The settlement requires him to pay the $17,500 penalty, ensure that digital pump displays accurately reflect the price customers are actually charged, and use only state-certified vendors for future pump repairs. He must also provide repair documentation to county officials within 10 days and attend a verification meeting to demonstrate that outstanding violations have been corrected. The agreement resolves pending municipal court complaints involving the stations in Toms River and Lakehurst. It's a good reminder for motorists to pay attention to the price displayed on the pump and check their receipts, particularly when gasoline is already taking a healthy bite out of the family budget. I've been around the car business a long time, and I understand that mistakes happen, but when the price on the sign and the price you're actually paying don't match, somebody has some explaining to do. In this case, that explanation came with a $17,500 price tag. Suddenly, a few extra cents per gallon doesn't look like such a profitable idea.
HAWAII HAS HIGHWAYS, BUT NO HIGHWAY PATROL
If you get pulled over for speeding in Hawaii, don't expect to see a state highway patrol officer walking up to your window. That's because Hawaii is the only state in America without a dedicated statewide highway patrol agency. While the other 49 states have some form of state police or highway patrol organization, Hawaii relies primarily on its county police departments to enforce traffic laws, investigate crashes and keep motorists in line. That includes the Honolulu Police Department on Oahu and the police departments serving Hawaii's other counties. It might sound unusual, especially considering that Hawaii has interstate highways, but there's a pretty practical explanation. Hawaii is made up of islands, so there aren't any highways connecting it to neighboring states. Its interstate highways are located on Oahu, where they serve the same basic transportation purpose as interstate highways on the mainland, even though you can't exactly drive from Honolulu to California. Hawaii's Department of Law Enforcement has proposed adding dedicated highway traffic enforcement, focusing on speeding, impaired driving, distracted driving and commercial truck safety. Meanwhile, Honolulu police continue to handle most traffic enforcement on Oahu, and here's an interesting twist: Some Honolulu officers use their own privately owned vehicles, including pickup trucks, for police work. So if you're vacationing in Hawaii and see a Tacoma with flashing blue lights in your rearview mirror, don't assume somebody is playing a practical joke. Hawaii may be the only state without a traditional highway patrol, but that doesn't mean the roads are an enforcement-free paradise. Apparently, the only thing missing is somebody wearing a hat that says HIGHWAY PATROL.
COMPTON PUTS SPEED BUMPS IN THE DONUT SHOP
The city of Compton, California, has come up with a surprisingly simple way to discourage those illegal street takeovers where drivers spin doughnuts in intersections while crowds stand around watching: Put something in the road that makes doing doughnuts a whole lot less appealing. According to Jalopnik and NBC Los Angeles, the city has installed more than 176 raised rubber bumps at 22 intersections, with another 23 intersections scheduled to receive the same treatment. The rubber strips are positioned near the centerlines of the streets, with eight at each intersection, allowing motorists making normal turns to avoid them while creating obstacles for drivers attempting to spin their cars in circles. One of the locations is the intersection of Center Street and Alondra Boulevard, where tire marks from previous takeovers are still visible on the pavement. Compton Public Works Engineering official Jack Gong explained that the barriers are designed to interfere with the reckless driving that has become a recurring problem in the community. And apparently, they're working. The Los Angeles County Sheriff's Department reports that street takeovers in Compton have declined 45% since the installations began last year, while residents say some intersections that previously attracted these gatherings have become noticeably quieter. The idea isn't entirely new. Compton previously tried installing smaller raised pavement markers, but those proved ineffective at stopping determined drivers. The newer rubber barriers present a more substantial obstacle without interfering with normal traffic. Of course, the concern is that takeover participants will simply move to intersections that haven't received the treatment, which helps explain why the city plans to keep installing them. I have to admit, there's something satisfying about a city finding a relatively low-tech solution to a high-horsepower problem. Instead of another expensive enforcement campaign, Compton is essentially telling these drivers that if they want to do doughnuts, they might want to visit an actual doughnut shop. At least there, the only rubber they'll burn is on the way out.