As a tiny gecko glides across a dusty trail in near silence, we stare at our topographic map, a compass and a vast unknown desert territory. Sagebrush dots the surrounding landscape while the hot sun seers our skin; a single bead of sweat casually makes its way down my face.
I open the door of our trusty steed, a 2023 Jeep Wrangler Rubicon 4xe plug-in hybrid 4×4, and grab our helmets. We secure them and proceed methodically after calculating the next steps in the remote Nevada desert. Our electrified four-door Jeep boasts 375 horsepower and 470 pound-feet of torque. It sits at the ready, wearing an eye-popping lemon-yellow hue called High Velocity, waiting to pounce on its next challenge. We’re part of the longest off-road rally competition in the United States, the 2022 Rebelle Rally, which boasts approximately 1,600 miles of dirt, sand, rock, and other unforgiving desert terrains. We’ve been tasked with safely navigating the nation’s most remote desert region to find the finish line.
Rally Delineations
This year’s event started at Incline Village on the north end of Lake Tahoe. Then, it wound its way through the Nevada and California desert before finishing at California’s famed Imperial Sand Dunes Recreational Area, otherwise known as Glamis or ISDRA.
Fifty-four two-person teams of women (half rookies and half returning competitors) from 94 cities, 24 states and provinces, and four countries tackled the event, piloting traditional-powered gasoline and diesel vehicles and a few electrified off-roaders. This year’s EVs included OEM-supplied 4x4s: an all-electric 2022 Rivian R1T truck and R1S SUV, a pair of 2022 Toyota Tundra hybrid trucks (non-plug-in versions, one TRD PRO and one Limited with the Off-Road Package) and a trio of bone-stock 2023 Jeep Wrangler Rubicon 4xe PHEVs.
Privateers are sprinkled throughout the 4×4 and X-Cross (crossover) team categories. However, manufacturer-supported teams—both from automakers and product companies—jumped in attendance this year as a testament to how commercialized the event is becoming. In addition to overall class winners, special award designations include the Bone Stock class, Rookie of the Year, International Cup, Spirit Award and more.
During the pre-rally technical inspection, vehicle navigational systems are concealed with security tape. Cell phones, laptops and other GPS-enabled techy tidbits are confiscated and held until after the competition ends. The only permissible navigational aids are maps, a compass, a roadbook and smarts. With this rudimentary toolset, teams are charged with finding up to 158 concealed checkpoints and the long-awaited finish line.
Although most rally teams were armed with a non-GPS-enabled Terra Trip or ICO rally odometer computer to pinpoint exact checkpoint positions in the desert, we ran without one, instead using the 4xe’s stock trip odometer from start to finish.
Teams with the most points at the end of the competition won their specific category (or categories) and potential designations. Daily stage winners and other accomplishments were rewarded, with most of the awards arriving as donations to the team’s charity of choice.
Team Nor’Wester and Beyond
Each rally team included a driver, navigator and four- or all-wheel drive vehicle. My team, Team Nor’Wester #111, consisted of a Washington-based, three-time crossover competitor and 2018 second-place X-Cross podium navigator, Emily Winslow. Always looking for an adventure, this year she tried her hand at 4×4 navigation, something she’s not done before.
“I’ve been wondering how it’d be to compete on the 4×4 side of the Rebelle,” Winslow said. “When the opportunity [with Jeep] arose, I grabbed it.” This is part of her “do things that sound scary” mantra. She wanted to compare 4×4 rallying against her X-Cross experience.
Based in Oregon but originally from the Midwest, I was a two-time driver who initially competed as a privateer in 2018. In 2021, Winslow and I connected with Volkswagen of America and made history as the first team to finish the grueling competition in an all-electric crossover. This year, we stuck with the electrification program and were one of three teams partnering with Jeep and their 2023 Wrangler Rubicon 4xe plug-in hybrid. Returning champions Nena Barlow and Teralin Petereit and an all-Navajo team comprised of Jeep employee Kaitlyn Mulkey and Racquel Black also competed. Jeep supplied each of the three teams with a differently colored 4xe PHEV. We nicknamed ours Joselyn; she kept us comfortable as we jostled around each day.
Wrangler Rubicon 4xe Statistics and Modes
Offered since 2021, the Jeep Wrangler Rubicon 4xe gasoline-electric PHEV showcases a 2.0-liter turbocharged four-cylinder engine producing 375 horsepower and 470 ft.-lb. of torque. It teams with two electric motors, a 17.4 kWh battery and an eight-speed automatic transmission. The powertrain pumps out instant power, a key feature when extra grunt is needed on or off the beaten path.
The four-door Rubicon 4xe achieves a total of 49 MPGe as a gas/electric hybrid, with its all-gasoline fuel-economy rating at 20 MPG. The 4xe’s 17.2-gallon tank is the smallest fuel reservoir compared to other Rubicon models (each boasting 21.5 gallons except the 3.0 diesel, which shaves off 3.2-gallons off that total).
However, the Rubicon 4xe features an impressive 370 total miles of range, which includes 22 miles of pure all-electric operation. As a result, our team never struggled with fuel consumption during the eight-day competition, even if our all-electric mileage was depleted in the middle of nowhere.
The 4xe includes three drive modes: hybrid, electric and e-save. Driving it in e-save, which utilizes the gasoline engine to save the maximum battery charge for later used more fuel than running it in hybrid mode. When comparing notes with Barlow, she used a half tank of fuel running it in hybrid mode, auto versus us in e-save, manual mode.
Additionally, the Jeep’s pure electric mode was reserved for when slow and careful driving was required, like crawling up steep, loose ascents that seemingly took forever. Although the throttle was touchy initially, we learned how to modulate it smoothly to keep the 4xe in check on difficult terrain.
Unlike other rally teams, we never worried about our combined range once we learned how to best pair the 4xe’s modes to different terrain types. Although the 4xe only has 22 miles of all-electric opportunities, we seamlessly kept driving it once depleted. Hybrid mode used the battery at a regular rate, but we managed to earn back crucial charge here and there, giving us a boost when all-electric mode was wanted.
As with off-roading other all-electric vehicles, the 4xe’s EV mode allowed us to hear what the vehicle was doing, particularly when the low range was engaged. For example, we could hear rocks moving under its weight or tires gripping against tight trailside boulders. Hearing birds chirping and grasshoppers flying nearby gives EV users a special connection to nature only a tiny percentage of off-roaders have had the opportunity to experience.
Rugged and Capable Wrangler 4xe
The 2023 Jeep Wrangler Rubicon 4xe boasts 10.8-inches of ground clearance, electronic front and rear lockers and a push-button sway bar disconnect. Easily operated, these features make drivers more confident with off-camber rock crawling or getting themselves unstuck from deep, soft sand easier and even more enjoyable.
“I was shocked at the confidence I immediately felt in the vehicle climbing hills and clearing rocks/debris on the trails,” Winslow stated. “The height was very reassuring as we didn’t run into any issues with rocks and shrubs on trails. It also easily climbed hills with loose dirt.” The Jeep felt steady and surefooted; she immediately trusted it.
Furthermore, this four-door’s 118.4” wheelbase felt nimble and light. Our test model’s stock 285/70R17 BFGoodrich KO2 all-terrain tires helped to maintain traction and stability; their beefy sidewall pattern successfully gripped trailside hazards to propel our Jeep forward.
Our Wrangler 4xe Versus the Desert
Like many overlanding and orienteering challenges, the Rebelle Rally pits drivers, navigators and vehicles against time and terrain to find hidden checkpoints strewn deeply in the desert. Daily on-time and on-route enduros are also held, giving competitors chances to hone time-speed-distance and direction-following skills.
Since neither aftermarket rally computer didn’t work, we relied on the 4xe’s incremental trip odometer. While easy to find the information, Winslow found it challenging to read the screen. There were multiple small lines of text on it. As a result, it was difficult to read what she needed during the competition. For non-rallying off-roaders, though, this won’t be an issue.
An adventure vehicle’s storage space is just as crucial as its capability, especially when exploring remote surroundings. The Jeep Wrangler Rubicon 4xe offers a smaller interior cargo capacity than its ICE-equipped siblings; its maximum interior cargo space is 67.4 cubic feet versus 72.4 cubic feet. The PHEV’s rear seats don’t fold flat, either. However, with careful planning and organizing, our team easily fit camp necessities, vehicle recovery gear, food, water, and other critical rally equipment on board. Multiple tie-down points throughout the interior cabin made it possible to ratchet and strap down our cargo.
Various intensities of dirt, rocks, sand and even mud tested even the best drivers. Nevertheless, the 4xe ran like a champ and performed as hoped, except for rattling a few fuses loose, creating a lighted Christmas-tree effect on the dashboard. After quick troubleshooting and an OBD-II scan that resulted in “no codes,” I checked each fuse, cycled the vehicle on and off a few times, and the issue resolved itself.
“I would absolutely compete in a Jeep again,” Winslow said, “it was a lot less stressful because I completely trusted the vehicle could tackle the course.”
Two-time Jeep Wrangler Rubicon 4xe winner Barlow agrees. “[The 4xe] is like an extension of my body,” she said with a chuckle, so I don’t even have to think about it.” To Barlow, her 4xe was home. It’s just big enough to carry her team’s gear and “just enough to be super on the trail.” Barlow, Petereit and the Wrangler 4xe sat atop the 4×4 podium again this year, earning 1447 total points with a 93% completion rate.
Electrified Ralliers Gain Ground
Of the top four-wheel drive finishers, three of the four teams piloted an electrified vehicle. Team Toyota Wayfinders #152, consisting of driver Becky Brophy and navigator Samantha Barber, landed their 2022 Toyota Tundra Limited with Off-Road Package and non-plug-in hybrid powertrain in third place. Fourth place went to Team Limestone Legends #187, with Lillian Macaruso behind the wheel and Alex Anderson as her co-driver, piloting a Rivian R1T truck. (Full 2022 Rebelle Rally results can be found here.)
In short, five electrified vehicles finished in the top 20 4×4 spots, with Winslow and me becoming the first team to complete the rally utilizing vehicles that featured an internal combustion engine (2018), an all-electric VW ID.4 (2021 with Volkswagen of America), and most recently, a plug-in hybrid with Jeep. We’re also one of the few teams who have competed in both the 4×4 and X-Cross categories.
In a world where the charging infrastructure is desperately trying to catch up to the massive popularity of EVs themselves, the 2023 Jeep Wrangler Rubicon 4xe is an ideal off-roader. It marries electrification for near-silent off-pavement fun while ensuring occupants can get home by offering a robust total range with its ICE counterpart.
