![>](data:image/svg+xml;charset=utf-8,<svg height="682" width="1024" xmlns="http://www.w3.org/2000/svg" version="1.1"/> "Rivian R1T becomes first electric vehicle to win longest off-road competition in US 3")
Photo credit: Rivian
Motorsports and off-road competitions aren’t the typical topic here at TechCrunch – unless, of course, there’s also a team on the podium driving an all-electric 2023 Rivian R1T.
The Rebelle Rally, the longest off-road map and compass rally in the United States, concluded Friday evening with a new EV milestone. This was the first time a team with an all-electric vehicle (that would be the Rivian R1T) took first place. The Rebelle Rally, in which all-female teams competed against each other on a 2,120-kilometer route using only paper maps, compass and plotter, is taking place for the eighth time.
The 2023 Rivian R1T, with Lilly Macaruso at the wheel and Alex Anderson behind the compass and map, took first place in the 4×4 class. (There is no electric vehicle on the podium yet in the X-Cross class.) Macaruso and Anderson, both Rivian employees, finished fourth in the 2022 Rebelle Rally. This year too, Rivian customer Many Brezina took part in the competition for the first time with her personal R1T. Brezina and navigator Alex Gilman took 11th place.
![>](data:image/svg+xml;charset=utf-8,<svg height="683" width="1024" xmlns="http://www.w3.org/2000/svg" version="1.1"/> "Rivian R1T becomes first electric vehicle to win longest off-road competition in US 4")
Photo credit: Tim Sutton / Rebelle Rally
The Rivian R1T, which Anderson and Macaruso jokingly called “Timmy,” is actually considered “bone stock,” meaning that nothing has been changed to the vehicle other than the tires that would affect its performance. However, Macaruso and Anderson, who both work for Rivian, made some changes to the interior to keep things tidy during the event.
Anderson, a senior mechanical engineer at Rivian, designed a number of items that her colleagues brought to life, including inserts to safely store a 5-gallon water jug, wrapping the interior of the A-Piller with Velcro, and making holders for one Shovel and a fire extinguisher. Anderson also 3D printed an upper cup holder that attached to the center console and a lower shelf that sat directly underneath.
“All these little changes added up for us,” Anderson said after the Rebelle Rally ended.
Test site
The Rebel has also become something of a testing ground for Rivian.
Rivian first entered the Rebelle scene in 2020 when Emme Hall, who is also an automotive journalist and TechCrunch contributor, drove a pre-production version of the R1T. Since then, Rivian has sponsored a team every year. The EV startup-turned-public company has used its experience at Rebelle Rally to flesh out ideas and refine technologies and features that will eventually find their way into vehicles that consumers own.
While Rivian engineers told me that “sand mode” was always the plan, feedback from Hall and Rivian employees who participated in Rebelle helped the company perfect the propulsion mode. According to the company, Rivian’s 2022 Rebelle teams were instrumental in the final validation of the software build.
The latest example can be found in Rivian’s new software 2023.38.0. With this OTA software update, Rivian has added a gauge view that customizes each driving mode and provides real-time information about the vehicle’s battery and engine temperature, torque, steering angle, pitch and roll, and tire pressure.
Charging in the wild
![>](data:image/svg+xml;charset=utf-8,<svg height="681" width="1024" xmlns="http://www.w3.org/2000/svg" version="1.1"/> "Rivian R1T becomes first electric vehicle to win longest off-road competition in US 5")
Photo credit: Nicole Dreon / Rebelle Rally
The Rebelle Rally brings together competitors far away from established charging stations or gas stations. Rebelle has worked with companies like Pennzoil for gas and Renewable Innovations for green hydrogen. What does green hydrogen have to do with charging an electric vehicle?
Renewable Innovations has been providing DC fast chargers for the race since 2020. However, until this year, the company used diesel generators to power the chargers. The intention, Rebelle Rally founder Emily Miller told TechCrunch, was always to use hydrogen.
“The biggest challenge was the EV infrastructure,” Miller told TechCrunch at the finish line of the 2023 Rebelle Rally.
It took years to find the right partner, build the infrastructure and secure the 800 kilograms of green hydrogen needed for the 10-day event, she added.
Today, competitors have four charging stations available. These chargers will be distributed at locations along the route for teams driving electric vehicles.