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The Rivian R1T electric pickup is running in the Rebelle Rally

And Roadshow's own Emme Hall will be at the wheel.

Rivian R1T

The Rivian R1T is expected to go on sale next year.

Emme Hall/Roadshow

The hotly anticipated Rivian R1T electric pickup truck won't be available to buy until 2021, but it's about to be put through one hell of a grueling test. The R1T will be the first fully electric vehicle to compete in the Rebelle Rally, a seven-day, women-only, navigational off-road challenge that kicks off this weekend. Oh, and the best part? Roadshow editor Emme Hall will be behind the wheel.

Hall will compete with her longtime teammate and navigator, Rebecca Donaghe. In 2019, the pair won the Rebelle Rally crossover class in a Rolls-Royce Cullinan, and in 2018, Hall and Donaghe were the overall winners, driving a Jeep Wrangler Rubicon to a first-place finish.

In order to keep the all-electric Rivian full of juice, the Rebelle Rally partnered with Power Innovations. The Utah-based company will provide 175-kilowatt fast-charging stations along the rally route, and will power the Rebelle base camp, as well.

Rivian R1T
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Rivian R1T

Team Killer Watt, comin' through.

Rivian

The Rivian R1T was initially expected to go on sale this year, but it's been delayed due to the COVID-19 pandemic. The official specs aren't available just yet, but right now, Rivian says the R1T has a quad-motor electric drivetrain with up to 750 horsepower. The truck can also travel about 400 miles on a full charge, can accelerate to 60 mph in 3 seconds, can ford up to 3 feet of water and can tow up to 11,000 pounds. Not all at once, obviously.

In addition to the R1T, other cool entries for the 2020 Rebelle Rally include the Lexus J201 concept, Ford Bronco Sport and a Nismo-prepped Nissan Frontier.

We're stoked to see how the EV pickup fares in the super-tough Rebelle Rally, which covers more than 1,200 miles over the course of 10 days. The teams are not allowed to use cell phones or any GPS equipment, relying solely on a map, compass and skill. You can track Emme and Rebecca's progress -- No. 140, Team Killer Watt -- on the Rebelle Rally website.

The Rivian R1T might be the electric pickup truck of tomorrow

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Watch this: The R1T concept from Rivian is the electric truck we've been waiting for
Steven Ewing Former managing editor
Steven Ewing spent his childhood reading car magazines, making his career as an automotive journalist an absolute dream job. After getting his foot in the door at Automobile while he was still a teenager, Ewing found homes on the mastheads at Winding Road magazine, Autoblog and Motor1.com before joining the CNET team in 2018. He has also served on the World Car Awards jury. Ewing grew up ingrained in the car culture of Detroit -- the Motor City -- before eventually moving to Los Angeles. In his free time, Ewing loves to cook, binge trash TV and play the drums.
Steven Ewing
Steven Ewing spent his childhood reading car magazines, making his career as an automotive journalist an absolute dream job. After getting his foot in the door at Automobile while he was still a teenager, Ewing found homes on the mastheads at Winding Road magazine, Autoblog and Motor1.com before joining the CNET team in 2018. He has also served on the World Car Awards jury. Ewing grew up ingrained in the car culture of Detroit -- the Motor City -- before eventually moving to Los Angeles. In his free time, Ewing loves to cook, binge trash TV and play the drums.

Article updated on October 6, 2020 at 10:14 AM PDT

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Steven Ewing Former managing editor
Steven Ewing spent his childhood reading car magazines, making his career as an automotive journalist an absolute dream job. After getting his foot in the door at Automobile while he was still a teenager, Ewing found homes on the mastheads at Winding Road magazine, Autoblog and Motor1.com before joining the CNET team in 2018. He has also served on the World Car Awards jury. Ewing grew up ingrained in the car culture of Detroit -- the Motor City -- before eventually moving to Los Angeles. In his free time, Ewing loves to cook, binge trash TV and play the drums.
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