1977 Volkswagen Beetle on 2040-cars

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8 car technologies designed to keep you safe

Technologies are always advancing forward, especially in your vehicle. As more safety technologies are being introduced into the market, it can be hard to keep track of everything. So here are 8 technologies designed to keep you safe on the road. Want more coverage? Head over to http://bit.ly/2CcOngW Ford Kia Mercedes-Benz Subaru Toyota Volkswagen Volvo Autoblog Minute Videos Original Video FCA automatic emergency braking

VW teams up with legendary electronic musicians Kraftwerk for 3D Autobahn concert

Electronic music fans know Kraftwerk. To paraphrase a famous TV anchor, they're kind of a big deal. The band is in the midst of an eight-concert show at Berlin's Neue Nationalgalerie, which includes a full 3D accompaniment. Why, you ask, is this on Autoblog, then? Well, Volkswagen is sponsoring it, highlighting the role that its iconic Beetle played on the band's equally iconic fourth album, Autobahn. And besides, it's Friday afternoon, and who doesn't want to listen to the soothing synth notes of early EDM pioneers? Check out the featurette on the connection between VW and Kraftwerk, and then for giggles, scroll down and give the first track of Autobahn a listen. This content is hosted by a third party. To view it, please update your privacy preferences. Manage Settings. News Source: Volkswagen Group via YouTube Volkswagen Coupe Classics Videos

BMW, Ferrari, VW cars use tungsten mined by terrorists

Bloomberg Markets is reporting that BMW, Volkswagen and Ferrari have been using tungsten ore sourced from Columbia's FARC rebel terrorists. The extensive story focuses on Columbia's illegal mining trade and calls into question the provenance of the rare ore that is used not only in crankshaft parts production, but is also found in the world's computing and telecommunications industry for use in screens.
The ore is mined by the FARC (Fuerzas Armadas Revolucionarias de Colombia, or Revolutionary Armed Forces of Colombia - People's Army), and exported to Pennsylvania, where it is refined. The refined ore is then sent over to Austria, where a company called Plansee turns it into a finished product. Now, it's important to note that we aren't talking about the world's supply of tungsten here. In 2012, Plansee's American refinery purchased 93.2 metric tons of tungsten, valued at $1.8 million. That's peanuts, with the entire Colombian tungsten mining industry producing just one percent of the world's supplies.
That doesn't make indirectly supporting FARC any more acceptable, though. BMW, VW and Ferrari are all committed to not accepting mineral supplies from the Democratic Republic of Congo, which is also in the grips of a guerrilla insurrection funded, in part, by illegal mining. The same commitment would figure to extend to Colombian mining, but as BMW points out, it's difficult for a multi-national manufacturer to know where every item in its supply chain comes from. A company spokesperson says as much, telling Bloomberg, "These few grams out of the billions of tons of raw materials passing through the BMW supply chain are of no practical relevance."