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Weekly Recap: Lamborghini fires on all cylinders

Lamborghini added 192 technicians and specialists in 2014 as the Italian automaker expands under the ambitious growth strategy of parent company Volkswagen AG. The additional workers helped Lamborghini increase its sales 19 percent last year to 2,530 supercars, and further expansion is planned for this year. Lambo has added more than 500 people in the last four years, bringing its headcount to 1,175. "Lamborghini is undergoing a strong phase of growth in both sales and in terms of recruitment," CEO Stephan Winkelmann said in a statement. "We invest significantly in our people ... in 2015 we plan to hire further." The supercar maker's solid performance last year came during a time of transition. Lambo sold off the final 265 Gallardos, which were the brand's best-selling models ever. Its 10-cylinder successor, the Huracan, immediately filled the void. It garnered 3,300 orders, and 1,137 of them were delivered in 2014. The other Lamborghini, the 12-cylinder Aventador, saw its sales increase 13 percent to 1,128 copies. The sales leap comes as Volkswagen drives sales expansion across its portfolio of brands. The German carmaker sold 10 million vehicles around the world for the first time last year. Though Lambo will never make supercars in great numbers, it is expected to contribute to VW's bottom line through its image and profitable sales. Look for further growth this year, and a Super Veloce version (shown above) of the Aventador has already been spotted during testing. Lamborghini has been working on a sport utility vehicle for years, though the company has never publicly approved the project. It also showed a hybrid, the Asterion, at last year's Paris Motor show, suggesting the automaker is considering an electric future. Other News and Notes GMC ponders Jeep Wrangler fighter GMC is considering adding a competitor to the Jeep Wrangler and has discussed the idea with its dealers, according to the Wall Street Journal. Details of the vehicle are unclear, but the report suggested the vehicle could have cues from General Motors' old Hummer brand. The move would broaden GMC's lineup of trucks and SUVs and attract new customers. GMC sold 501,853 vehicles in 2014, making it GM's second-best selling brand. GMC had more volume than Cadillac and Buick combined, though it's still well behind Chevrolet's tally of more than two million vehicles. The notion of a "Wrangler fighter" could be a moving target.

GMC Hummer EV recalled over improperly sealed battery pack

Over 700 units of the GMC Hummer EV built during the 2022 and 2023 model years will be recalled due to an improperly sealed battery pack that lets water in. The firm issued a stop-delivery order at the same time as the recall, and it hasn't found how to fix the problem yet. Assigned recall number 22V-771 by the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA), the campaign includes 735 examples of the Hummer EV and 89 units of the BrightDrop Zevo 600 van. These two vehicles are pegged on opposite ends of the automotive spectrum, but they're affected by the same problem: "the high-voltage battery pack enclosure in some of these vehicles may not have been properly sealed," GMC notes, adding that "flanges on the battery pack enclosure may not have been properly primed or electrocoated." Water can wreak havoc in a high-voltage battery pack. GMC told NHTSA that it has found three EVs with this problem: an internal test vehicle that lost power while driving and two customer-owned vehicles that wouldn't start. As of writing, the firm is not aware of any accidents, injuries, or fires related to the issue, and GMC estimates that only about 1% of the recalled EVs are affected. GMC began notifying dealers of the recall in October 2022, and it plans to start reaching out to owners on November 28, 2022. However, a fix hasn't been found yet. In the meantime, the company issued a stop-delivery order and asked dealers not to attempt their own repairs. This isn't the Hummer EV's first run-in with water-related problems. In August 2022, General Motors voluntarily recalled 424 units of the Hummer EV and the Zevo 600 van due to a high-voltage connector that can prematurely corrode. The problem also let water leak into the battery pack, though it sounds like fixing it was reasonably straight-forward and involved applying sealant to the connector. Related video: This content is hosted by a third party. To view it, please update your privacy preferences. Manage Settings. Featured Gallery 2022 GMC Hummer EV Edition 1 First Drive View 17 Photos Green GMC Hummer Truck Electric

GM can't keep up with most popular pickup orders

With the market for pickup trucks at its best since before the recession, General Motors can't afford any hiccups with the launch of its new 2014 Chevrolet Silverado and GMC Sierra twins, but it sounds like the popularity of V8-powered trucks is causing some supply-chain issues. Bloomberg reports that GM is experiencing a shortage of 5.3-liter V8 engines because an unnamed parts supplier has been unable to keep up with demand. This is leading GM to restrict the number of V8 Silverado and Sierra trucks that Chevrolet and GMC dealers are allowed to order.
Although it's unclear how long it will take to resolve the parts shortage, GM doesn't have much time to sort it out, as a new Ford F-150 looms on the horizon. At launch, GM's fullsize trucks were offered only with a base 4.3-liter V6 and the 5.3-liter V8, but a burlier 6.2-liter V8 will be available soon. Interestingly, at least at the moment, GM truck buyers don't seem as willing to downsize to V6 power as buyers of the F-150, which gets some 42-percent of its sales from trucks equipped with its EcoBoost V6 engine (not including the normally aspirated base V6).
Working out the kinks in the Silverado and Sierra's supply chain couldn't be more important to the health of the company. Full-size pickups are a huge profit driver - in 2012, the trucks were said to make up about two-third of GM's total profits.