Rivian earned its place in the history books over the weekend. The Rivian R1T won the longest off-road rally in the US, the 2023 Rebelle Rally, in a pure EV for the first time.
Started in 2015, the Rebelle Rally is the longest off-road rally in the US. It was initially created to allow the growing community of women to display their savvy off-road skills.
Teams navigate a 2,500 course across the desert, rock, and stone, with intense heat and wind. The teams can only use paper maps, compasses, and plotters. No GPS or other digital navigation tools are permitted.
Rivian has participated in the event since 2020, entering the competition with a pre-production R1T electric truck. For the second straight year, Rivian employees were behind the wheel of the vehicle they helped design, build, and support.
As another first, Rivian’s customer team, driven by Mandy Brezina and navigated by Alex Gilman, completed the rally in a personally owned, pure EV.
As Mandy’s fourth appearance, the team customer team placed 11th. The winning team (Limestone Legends) were also Rivian employees, with driver Lilly Macaruso and navigator Alex Anderson.
Lilly is a special projects engineer at Rivian, while Alex is a senior mechanical engineer at the EV startup.
Rivian Rebelle Rally team (Source: Rivian)
Rivian R1T becomes the first EV to win Rebelle Rally
“We learned and grew so much from training to competition. I experienced areas of the world I never imagined I would see as we swept across valleys, mountains, and dunes, all sustainably and nearly silently in our R1T,” Alex explained.
This was Lilly and Alex’s second appearance at the event after placing fourth last year and earning the Rookies of the Year award.
The 2023 Rivian R1T beat out a 2024 Jeep Wrangler Rubicon 4xe, 2022 Ford Bronco Raptor, 2020 Toyota 4Runner, and other off-road vehicles from Land Rover, Lexus, and others. Three Rivian R1T electric vehicles placed in the top 20.
Electrek’s Take
As the first EV to win, the Rivian R1T shows the world it can compete head-to-head with the best in an off-road competition.
Rivian has only been building vehicles since September 2021, a little over two years. With OTA updates and new technology, Rivian continues improving its all-electric adventure vehicles with longer ranges and added features. And this is just a preview of what’s to come, according to the company.
Rivian plans to reveal its first R2 models next year, which will be more affordable, opening up an entirely new market for the EV startup. The R2 lineup is expected to launch in 2026.
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Clean energy jobs surged in 2024, growing more than three times faster than the rest of the US economy and adding nearly 100,000 new positions. That brought the total clean energy workforce to 3.56 million people, according to the 10th annual Clean Jobs America report from E2.
But growth slowed compared to 2023. Amid policy uncertainty and an overall cooling economy, clean energy jobs expanded at their slowest pace since 2020, with about 50,000 fewer new jobs than the year before.
Even so, the sector still outpaced the broader economy. Solar, wind, batteries, energy efficiency, storage, and grid jobs made up more than 7% of all new US jobs last year and 82% of new energy jobs. Clean energy also takes a bigger share of the overall workforce: it now accounts for 42% of all US energy jobs and 2.3% of the total workforce. More people work in clean energy today than as nurses, cashiers, restaurant servers, or preschool through middle school teachers.
The report lands as the clean energy industry faces major headwinds. Federal policy moves have canceled projects, revoked tax credits, and added new regulatory hurdles targeting solar, wind, EVs, and more. While not yet reflected in 2024’s numbers, those actions are already hitting jobs hard. E2 found that since January 2025, companies have canceled more than $22 billion worth of clean energy factories and projects that would have created 16,500 jobs. Other analyses warn that more than 830,000 jobs could vanish under Trump’s big bill, signed on July 4.
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“This was one of the hottest and most promising job sectors in the country at the end of 2024,” said E2’s executive director Bob Keefe. “Now, clean energy job growth is at serious risk – and with it, our overall economy.”
Clean energy and EV jobs have added more than 520,000 positions over the last five years, a 17% increase. That’s far more growth than fossil fuels, ICE vehicle manufacturing, or the economy overall. In fact, over the past five years, clean energy companies have added jobs 60% faster than the rest of the US economy.
Energy efficiency remains the largest employer in the sector, with nearly 2.4 million workers after adding 91,000 jobs last year. Renewable generation jobs reached 569,000 (+9,000 in 2024), while clean vehicle jobs totaled 398,000. The clean vehicle sector shrank by 12,000 jobs in 2024 due to an industry-wide decline across all vehicle sectors, but employment is still up 52% since 2020.
Regionally, the South is leading the way. More than 1 million clean energy workers are based there, and the South added 41,000 jobs in 2024. The West and Northeast each added over 20,000 jobs, and the Midwest added 13,000. At the state level, 23 states now have at least 50,000 clean energy jobs, and in all but eight states, clean energy employment outnumbers fossil fuel jobs.
“Every year, clean energy jobs become more intertwined and critical to our overall economy,” said Michael Timberlake, E2’s director of research and publications. “These jobs are now a vital anchor of America’s energy workforce. The strength of the US job market and the future of our energy economy are now inseparable from the growth of clean energy.”
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Genesis is turning 10, and it’s celebrating with a few big surprises. The rising luxury brand is rolling out a slate of new hybrids and EVs, including an ultra-luxe flagship SUV and off-roader.
Genesis gears up for new EVs, hybrids, and EREVs
Hyundai’s luxury brand has quickly emerged as a dark horse in the luxury market. Genesis is celebrating its 10th anniversary with a bang.
By 2030, the brand aims to sell 350,000 vehicles annually. Genesis is launching a new lineup, including its first hybrid, a new flagship SUV, an off-roader, and several performance vehicles.
Hyundai confirmed during its CEO Investor Day on Thursday that Genesis will launch several new models soon, including new EVs, hybrids, and extended-range vehicles (EREVs).
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Genesis will launch its first hybrid in 2026, followed by EREVs shortly after. At least two new SUVs are set to join the lineup, a full-size flagship model and an off-roader.
Hyundai said the new luxury SUVs will be based on the Neolun and X Gran Equator concepts. Although we have yet to learn all the details, the Neolun is expected to arrive as the GV90, an “ultra-luxe,” full-size flagship electric SUV. The X Gran Equator concept is a more rugged, luxury off-road SUV.
Genesis Neolun ultra-luxury electric SUV concept (Source: Genesis)
Genesis plans to expand the brand into up to 20 European markets while strengthening its presence in the US. Those in the US will see the first hybrid Genesis vehicles roll out, starting in 2026.
Genesis X Gran Equator Concept (Source: Genesis)
The luxury brand will also launch its first EREV, which Hyundai promises will deliver over 600 miles of range by using a battery and a gas engine that acts as a backup generator.
Genesis is entering “the realm of high-performance vehicles” with its new Magma brand. The first performance model, the GV60 Magma, will arrive later this year.
Genesis GV60 Magma testing with other Magma vehicles (Source: Genesis)
In under eight years, the Genesis brand sold a total of over 1 million vehicles. Over the next few years, it’s betting on new EVs, hybrids, advanced tech, sleek designs, and more to solidify its position in the luxury space.
Hyundai is also launching new vehicles across nearly all powertrains and segments. Check out our recap of Hyundai’s CEO Investor Day to see what’s coming.
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Starting at under $35,000 with up to 319 miles of range, class-leading tech, and more, the Chevy Equinox EV is hard to beat. But, is “America’s most affordable 315+ miles range EV,” really the best value?
The Chevy Equinox EV wins best value electric vehicle
The fastest-growing EV brand in the US is not Tesla or Rivian, it’s Chevy, largely thanks to the electric Equinox. After launching the lower-priced LT model last year, starting at just $34,995, Chevy’s electric SUV has been flying off the lot.
GM expects the Chevy Equinox EV will be the third top-selling electric vehicle in the US in 2025, behind the Tesla Model Y and Model 3.
Considering what it offers, the electric Equinox is hard to beat, but is it really the best value? According to Cars.com, it is. The online marketplace released its latest Top EV picks ahead of the Federal EV tax credit, set to expire on September 30, naming the 2025 Chevy Equinox EV the best value electric vehicle.
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The online car-shopping marketplace sifted through the 77 EV models now available, naming the best for 2026 across value, usability, performance, and technology.
Chevy Equinox EV LT (Source: GM)
Other top EV picks included the 2026 Hyundai IONIQ 5 for best 2-Row SUV, the 2026 Kia EV9 for best 3-Row SUV, and the 2026 Hyundai IONIQ 6 for top electric car.
The 2026 Lucid Air was named the top luxury EV, while the 2026 Chevy Silverado EV took the title for top electric pickup truck.
Chevy Equinox EV interior (Source: GM)
“The federal EV tax credit helped make EVs more affordable, and while its expiration at the end of September may slow demand in the short term, it doesn’t mean the end of affordable EVs,” Aaron Bragman, Detroit Bureau Chief at Cars.com, explained.
Many automakers, including Chevy, Nissan, and Hyundai, are planning to launch lower-priced electric vehicles, while several state and local incentives will remain.
2025 Chevy Equinox EV trim
Starting Price
EPA-estimated Range
Monthly lease Price (September 2025)
LT FWD
$34,995
319 miles
$249
LT AWD
$40,295
307 miles
$319
RS FWD
$45,790
319 miles
$324
RS AWD
$49,090
307 miles
$367
2025 Chevy Equinox EV prices, range, and lease price September 2025 (Including $1,395 destination fee)
With leases starting at just $249 per month, the Chevy Equinox EV is hard to match right now. Chevy is offering pretty significant discounts across its entire EV lineup, including a $10,000 bonus on most models and 0% APR financing on any 2025 model year EV.
The Equinox EV is not only one of the most affordable to lease, but it’s also one of the cheapest to insure. According to a recent study from Insurify, the Chevy Blazer and Equinox are the most affordable EVs to insure.
If you’re looking to grab the savings while they are still available, we can help you get started. You can use our links below to find deals on the top electric vehicles in your area.
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