’21 RIVIAN RT1
Veteran ralliers Emme Hall and Rebecca Donaghe are quite familiar with the Rebelle Rally. They’ve competed in it since its inception in 2016. During that time, they’ve won both 4x4 and crossover classes. This year, Hall championed the all-electric RT1 as Donaghe navigated them to the finish line.
Every vehicle has a purpose. What do you think your vehicle’s was as you completed the rally with it?
EMME HALL: Our goal was to prove you could rally an EV for multiple days. Yes, we had special charging provided by Power Innovations, an option real-world consumers likely won't have, but we wanted to be a part of the giant experiment to see if it could be done.
What part(s) of the vehicle proved to be a success, exceeded your expectations, or surprised you in a good way?
EH: The 826 lb-ft of torque is really amazing. The truck doesn't have a low gear or lockers or anything, but we didn't need them. With all that torque, the truck will climb up and over most anything. Further, the torque meant that we could accelerate to our Enduro speeds really quickly.
What is the most memorable experience you had with your vehicle during the rally?
EH: During the rally when we dropped into Glamis for the first time, I got really excited and over-drove the truck, bending a control link in the rear. After looking at the damage, we decided to skip the CP on Oldsmobile Hill and just go for two other CPs that would be easier on the truck. It was a hard decision for me to come to terms with. Since the truck was still moving forward and in a race situation, I [wanted to] just drive it until it couldn't move forward anymore. However, the rally is a marathon, not a sprint. Skipping Olds and babying the truck was the right choice. But it was really hard for me!
If you were to change anything about the vehicle, what would it be? Why?
EH: That's tough because we didn't experience a fully fleshed-out model as it would be delivered to a customer. Our truck was the first one off the production line, but that doesn't mean it's a full production vehicle. From a driver's standpoint, I want beefier control links. Rivian told us those parts are not production and will most likely get tweaked for the better. I also want the air suspension tuned a bit different. Compression was great but the whoops would often overwhelm the rebound in the rear and kick the bed up just a bit. I mean, you can solve that by going slower, but where is the fun in that?