After eight days, more than 1,440 off-road miles in the Nevada and California deserts, competing against 45 teams driving vehicles from 10 different automotive manufacturers, the Jeep® brand is celebrating an October 2022 repeat Rebelle Rally title today, taking the top two podium spots for the second year in a row.
The Jeep brand-supported team of Nena Barlow and Teralin Petereit delivered a consistent and dominant performance, taking the most points in four of the seven stages, never scoring lower than third, while piloting their bone stock (unmodified) Jeep Wrangler 4xe to the overall title, as well as bone stock and electrified class wins for the second year in a row.
“From day one, we have said the Rebelle Rally is the ultimate authentic proving ground for people, products and vehicles,” said Rebelle Rally Founder Emily Miller. It’s great to see the Jeep brand use the Rebelle to prove the durability, reliability and dependability of their electrified Wrangler.”
“If I could choose any vehicle currently made on the planet to compete in the rally, it would be the Jeep Wrangler Unlimited Rubicon 4xe,” said Nena Barlow of the winning Team 4xEventure. “It’s got the range, power, capability, and durability for traversing 1,440 miles of Rocky Mountain trails, rough desert tracks and huge sand dunes. This was the toughest year yet. But we never had to worry about the Wrangler’s readiness. Not a rattle, squeak or loose anything after the rally. The only maintenance I did was clean the air filter.”
Team Dirt Hustle (team 188) of Laura Wanlass and Maria Guitar in a 2021 Jeep Wrangler Rubicon Unlimited (EcoDiesel) brought home a strong second place. The veteran Rebelles pushed and challenged Barlow and Petereit in every stage, winning two.
For the second year in a row, the Jeep brand supported an all-Navajo team for the Rebelle Rally. This year, returning Rebelle Racquel Black teamed up with first-time Rebelle and Jeep brand employee Kaitlyn Mulkey on team Hózhó Vibrations (team 160) in a Jeep Wrangler Rubicon 4xe. For their first team effort, they finished in a very strong ninth place overall.
“As the Jeep brand works toward its ultimate goal of zero-emission freedom, events like the Rebelle Rally, competing in one of the toughest off-road conditions over an extended period of time, really showcase the Wrangler’s 4×4 capability, as well as its class-exclusive, off-road 4xe powertrain,” said Jim Morrison, senior vice president and head of Jeep brand North America. “The Wrangler 4xe’s repeat wins are a testament to Nena and Teralin, as well as to the engineering teams at home. Our Jeep brand team member Kaitlyn Mulkey also paired up with Racquel Black on the Navajo team and finished in the top 10 in their Wrangler 4xe, making it a very exciting Rally to follow. Congratulations to everyone who rallied this year.”
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 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, and a fully articulating suspension.
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 with an available Level 2 (220-volt) charger and in about 12 hours with Level 1 (110-volt) household power.
The Rebelle Rally is the longest competitive off-road rally in the United States. Traversing over 1,440 miles 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. To learn more, visit www.rebellerally.com.
