When the dust settled after the sixth Rebelle Rally, Jeep® SUVs overwhelmingly led the pack. The 2021 Jeep Wrangler 4xe is the first electrified vehicle to win the 1,500-mile trek across the Nevada and California deserts, finishing in both first and second place, taking the overall win and the Bone Stock award. In addition, the Jeep Wrangler swept the podium, securing the top three positions, while also taking five of the top 10 spots.
“The Jeep brand continues to dominate for a reason,” said Emily Miller, founder – Rebelle Rally. “Off the showroom floor, a Jeep 4×4 is an exceptionally capable vehicle to take on the Rebelle Rally. The Wrangler 4xe definitely proved itself in an impressive way, taking the top two positions in the overall competition.”
Team 4xEventure (team 129) of Nena Barlow and Teralin Petereit and their Jeep Wrangler Rubicon 4xe took the overall win and Bone Stock award in this year’s Rebelle Rally. The team’s Wrangler Rubicon 4xe was also the top-scoring electrified vehicle. Barlow and Petereit were consistently dominant, taking the most points in four of the seven stages, never scoring lower than third. This is Petereit’s third overall win while placing on the podium in her two other years of competition, making her the most successful Rebelle Rally competitor.
“The course was more challenging than ever this year, but the Wrangler 4xe made it easy,” said Nena Barlow of Team 4xEventure. “We torqued up dunes and rock-crawled mountains and washes with ease and efficiency. Not to mention, we never lacked for range or power.”
Team Jeep Thrills (team 177) brought home a strong second place. The mother and daughter team of Christine and Emily Benzie and their 2021 Jeep Wrangler Rubicon 4xe took one stage win and never finished out of the top 10. This is their third Rebelle podium in the Bone Stock category, with one win, and their first podium in the overall.
“The Rubicon 4xe was pure pleasure to drive during the Rally,” said Emily Benzie of Team Jeep Thrills. “The suspension smoothed the many whoops and washouts we encountered in the Nevada and California deserts. On the third day of competition, we opened the Sky One-Touch Power-Top, without having to stop the Jeep, to admire the steep cliff faces of the scenic Titus Canyon in Death Valley, and then closed it as a dust storm began to form on the valley floor. On the last afternoon, the added torque from the Rubicon 4xe electric mode combined with the eight-speed transmission created the perfect machine to tackle the soft sand in the large dunes of the Glamis sand dune complex.”
Jeep proudly teamed up with Team Asdzáá Skoden Rebelles (team 160) of Shandiina Peters and Racquel Black, the first all-Navajo team to compete in the Rally. As Rebelle Rally rookies, they piloted their Jeep Wrangler Rubicon 4xe to a respectable finish of 29th overall.
“Participating in the Rebelle Rally this year was definitely an unforgettable experience,” said Racquel Black of Team Asdzáá Skoden Rebelles. “Our opportunity and success at the rally came to fruition because of the Jeep brand’s amazing sponsorship of the beautiful and powerful plug-in hybrid Wrangler Rubicon 4xe!”
The Bone Stock designation requires vehicles to be as delivered from the manufacturer, with the only allowances for aftermarket tires and wheels in the factory sizes. New last year, the Electrified Designation applies to EVs, PHEVs and hybrid vehicles.
“The Jeep brand has supported the Rebelle Rally since the beginning six years ago and, this year, we were excited to showcase the new Wrangler 4xe in the most difficult off-road rally conditions,” said Jim Morrison, Vice President, Jeep Brand North America. “It’s a testament to our teams in the race and our engineering teams at home that this year Jeep Wrangler swept the podium, with two Wrangler 4xe SUVs placing first and second overall, as well taking the Bone Stock and electrified awards without a single issue the entire Rally. Congratulations to everyone who rallied this year.”
As the Jeep brand works toward its ultimate goal of zero-emission freedom, events like the Rebelle Rally are key to prove and showcase both its industry-best 4×4 capability, as well as its class-exclusive, off-road 4xe powertrain. The Jeep Wrangler 4xe delivers 49 MPGe and 21 miles of all-electric range with no range anxiety.
The Jeep Wrangler 4xe’s propulsion system combines two electric motors, a 2.0-liter I-4 engine and eight-speed automatic transmission for nearly silent propulsion and enhanced 4×4 off-road capability, without EV range anxiety. This arrangement enables the Trail Rated Jeep Wrangler 4xe to retain running gear that includes solid front and rear axles, full-time two-speed transfer case, a fully articulating suspension and 30 inches of water fording capability.
The E-Selec modes let the driver tailor the Jeep Wrangler 4xe propulsion to the trip: hybrid, electric and eSave, which conserves the battery pack charge for later use. The Wrangler 4xe’s 17-kilowatt-hour battery pack recharges in approximately two hours on Level 2 (220-volt) power and in about 12 hours on Level 1 (110-volt) household power.
The Rebelle Rally is the longest competitive off-road rally in the United States. Traversing over 2,500 kilometers through Nevada and California’s iconic terrain, it is an endurance competition for women consisting of precision driving and navigating – not fastest speed. The competition is innovative and unique, using maps, compass, roadbooks and strategy – known as Rebelle format. GPS and other electronic devices are strictly prohibited. Remote and off-grid for eight competition days, the Rebelle Rally is considered a proving ground for people, products and stock manufacturer vehicles.
