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2022 Rivian R1T vs. 2022 Ford F-150 Lightning vs. GMC Hummer EV Pickup | How they compare on paper

The 2022 Rivian R1T has arrived, ushering in the era of the production electric pickup truck. The Rivian reviews are in, and spoiler alert: They're pretty good. Curious how the new battery-powered truck stacks up to its forthcoming competitors? Well, you've come to the right place. Rivian beat all of Detroit's big automakers to market in the half-ton segment, but probably not by the margin the startup would have liked. Ford's answer is the F-150 Lightning, which is due to enter production early next year, coming hot on the heels of GM's first entry into the space – the GMC Hummer EV pickup – which is scheduled to come off the line late this fall. While all three are pickups, they're aimed at distinctly different buyers, as a perusal of their specifications will reveal. Let's have a look, shall we?   Disclaimer: Before we dive in on this one, we'd like to note that while we've made our best effort to verify the specs provided, the Rivian is brand-new and the others are still in the prototype phase. Some of these figures may be inaccurate or may simply change before production. This is all hypothetical until you can actually cross-shop them anyway, right? Cool. End disclaimer. Let's start with the powertrains. They're all battery-electric trucks engineered on a modular rear-wheel-drive configuration engineered to accommodate (theoretically, anyway) up to four electric drive units. Rivian actually makes the most use of this with a quad-motor setup producing 835 horsepower and 908 pound-feet of torque with its high-output initial model. GMC's three-motor Hummer has the R1T beat with its estimated 1,000-horsepower output, while Ford's (also three-motor) comes in with a far more modest 563 horses. This is an excellent illustration of our above point that these are not all engineered for the same crowd. Ford's F-150, which comes in at a lower price point, is meant to be far more mainstream, as its power output suggests.  This theme continues when we look at the dimensions. Despite the image "Hummer" may conjure, GMC's entry actually needs the shallowest parking space. The Rivian is right behind it, with the work-truck-spec Ford extending more than a foot longer than either. What the Hummer lacks in length, it makes up for in girth. It's the widest by a good 5 inches. The Rivian is only slightly pudgier than the F-150, but it's much closer at that end of the scale.

Ford readying three-row Edge for China

The next-generation Ford Edge will be available with quite a growth spurt for its debut in China next year, with newly announced plans also to build and sell a three-row version exclusively in the People's Republic. However, markets outside of there likely won't see the larger model. Ford marketing boss (and future head of Ford of Europe) Jim Farley announced the three-row version of the crossover at the Los Angeles Auto Show, according to Automotive News. To create the extra room, Ford made the Chinese-built variant about 16 inches longer than its two-row counterpart. Farley didn't specify at which of the Blue Oval's plants in the country this model would be assembled. The Explorer and forthcoming Everest already offer three rows from the Ford lineup in China, but the company thinks the market can easily support all of them. According to Farley to Automotive News, the utility segment is up 485 percent in the country since 2008. Customers in the US can still look forward to the two-row Edge hitting dealers early next year. It'll be the first model in the Blue Oval's lineup here to come standard with EcoBoost power.

'Born of a Blue Sky' brings the Amelia Island Concours to you

The Amelia Island Concours d'Elegance has more clout every year and is getting a reputation as Pebble Beach minus the madness. Held in March this year, it celebrated Ducati and the 50-year anniversaries of Lamborghini, the Corvette Sting Ray, Porsche 911 and the Ford GT40.
Justin Lapriore was there, and seemingly everywhere, getting footage of the various wares on display on the lawns and the sand and the runway. The resulting video, Born of a Blue Sky, is a 16-minute survey of some of the finer sights and plenty of engine sounds. Check it out below.