Rivian debuts its first electric truck in 10-day off-road Rebelle Rally

• Competitors may use only a compass and a map — no smartphone or other GPS device — to navigate the 1,200-mile, secret route through the desert of California and Nevada.
• Points are awarded for navigational accuracy, not fastest time.
• Off-road enthusiast Emme Hall, an editor at CNET's Roadshow website, and teammate Rebecca Donaghe will pilot the Rivian.

The intrigue: If running an electric truck with 400 miles of driving range across 1,200 miles of desert sounds a bit problematic, consider this:

• The Rebelle Rally partnered with Utah-based Power Innovations to provide 175-kilowatt fast-charging stations along the rally route, and to power the Rebelle base camp, reports Roadshow.

Dispatch from Day One, via a Rivian spokeswoman:

• "First factory-built vehicle, though still a validation prototype. A little risky but fun too."

Go deeper: You can track the Rebelle Rally here.