The Rivian R1T has made history by becoming the first electric vehicle (EV) to win the Rebelle Rally, the longest off-road map-and-compass rally in the US.
The 2023 Rivian R1T took first place in the 4×4 class of the Rebelle Rally, with the electric truck being driven by Lilly Macaruso and navigated by Alex Anderson. This wasn’t your usual rally competition as it featured all-women teams who relied solely on paper maps, compasses, and plotters to navigate a grueling 2,120km (1,317 mile) course.
Congratulations to Rivian’s #187 Limestone Legends on their 1st place finish at @rebellerally! 🏆
The driver and navigator duo and their third teammate, the 2023 R1T, are the first team in a fully electric vehicle to win Rebelle. pic.twitter.com/HM4wnAQql2
— Rivian (@Rivian) October 21, 2023
The victory showcased the R1T’s off-road capabilities and demonstrates that EV can compete at the highest level in demanding off-road races. Despite being a stock vehicle, the Rivian R1T, affectionately nicknamed ‘Timmy’ by the team, demonstrated outstanding performance throughout the competition. The interior of the R1T was customized by Anderson, a senior mechanical engineer at Rivian, who designed practical solutions to keep the team organized during the event.
This isn’t the first time Rivian has entered a vehicle in the Rebelle Rally, having first entered in the competition every year since 2020, providing them with valuable feedback and insights that have influenced the development of their vehicles. For example, feedback from previous rallies helped Rivian perfect the “sand mode” drive mode, which enhances performance in sandy terrain.
You can read more about the team’s journey leading up to the competition on Rivian’s website.
Rivian’s latest OTA software update, 2023.38.0, incorporates real-time information about battery and motor temperature, torque, steering angle, pitch and roll, and tire pressure.
