Seven automotive trends to watch in 2017

The average vehicle on American roads is nearly 12 years old, market research shows, as drivers hold on to their old, reliable wheels for longer stretches of time. That has held true even as more people than ever bought new cars last year – 17.5 million of them.

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The U.S. government is taking an increased interest in how American technology companies plan to address human rights abuses in Congo’s cobalt mines, according to a senior State Department official. The attention from State comes as industry groups have recently launched two initiatives aimed at curbing child labor and other dangerous practices in their cobalt supply chains.