2020 has been some year, and it’s not even close to over. We still have several months and plenty of holidays to get through. While the year drags on, many automakers are doing their part to join the fray and help healthcare workers everywhere. It’s a real time to jump in and help the community. One automaker in particular has had a focus on the community since 2019 with a new marketing vision forging them ahead – it’s Mitsubishi Motors. Known for the “Small Batch – Big Impact” Initiative, Mitsubishi Motors North America has spread far and wide across the country, engaging communities in need of aid, whether its disaster relief during these troubling times or making history. Mitsubishi Motors plans to repeat history in 2020 with the first-ever all women’s hybrid or plug-in hybrid race.
Yes, Mitsubishi Motors is returning to Rebelle Rally for 2020, the country’s first all-women’s off-road navigational rally raid in the U.S. Running from the slopes of Lake Tahoe, California to the Imperial Dunes of Glamis, east of San Diego, it’s also the longest event of its kind in the lower 48 states. Last year, Mitsubishi Motors made use of its Small Batch Initiative by helping a military veterans’ nonprofit organization, Record the Journey (RTJ) make history with the first disabled athlete to compete in the Rebelle thanks to Mitsubishi Motors and a minimally modified 2018 Mitsubishi Eclipse Cross equipped with hand-controls.
The driver was seven-year U.S. Air Force veteran Karah Behrend, who had to retire after losing the use of her legs and partially her hands to a degenerative neurological disease. Navigating the trail with Behrend was RTJ charity founder Rachael Ridenour, a U.S. combat veteran with 31-years under her belt. The two took second place in the Crossover competition class, and afterwards, Mitsubishi Motors donated the modified Eclipse Cross to RTJ as a “Community Utility Vehicle”. Nicknamed “Rosie the Riveter”, it now operates as a support vehicle for charity programming with other veterans and their families.
In 2020, Ridenour, a multi-time Rebelle competitor and past winner will be leading team RTJ again, and this time will be driving a Mitsubishi Outlander PHEV, the world’s best-selling plug-in hybrid electric vehicle. For 2020, Rebelle Rally decided to add alternative fuel to its list of competition classes (4×4 and Crossover) to give hybrids and plug-in hybrids a chance to shine. This special designation was included to honor the highest-finishing battery-powered electric vehicle (BEV) and hybrid or plug-in hybrid electric vehicle (PHEV) in each car segment – this also included on-course rapid charging during the race.
“The Rebelle Rally shows us what is possible when we have the courage and ambition to do more with the cars in our driveway, and we all need that inspiration now more than ever…We are thrilled to continue our support for Team Record the Journey this year with the world’s best-selling plug-in hybrid electric vehicle, the Mitsubishi Outlander PHEV, and to continue to prove our legacy of quality, dependability and reliability.” – MMNA Chief Operating Officer Mark Chaffin.
Will the Mitsubishi Eclipse Cross have what it takes to take home the gold for PHEVs in the 2020 Rebelle Rally? Stay in touch with us on Miami Lakes Mitsubishi social media to find out.