IBM Research on a mission to revolutionize the battery

This innovative battery can charge to 80% in less than 5 minutes, it has an energy efficiency of over 90%, and it is free of heavy metals. Engineered by the IBM Research team, the battery is made from more eco-friendly materials sourced from seawater. Using three materials extracted from the seawater, the IBM research team could spearhead advances to creating more sustainable batteries.

 

The low-cost of sourcing the material will undoubtedly revolutionize the electric-vehicle market. Calculated from the ratio of energy to discharge the battery divided by the power to charge the battery, it has over 90% energy efficiency.

 

IBM Research is known for its long history in advancing materials sciences. This new and revolutionary battery design will bring environmentally friendly solutions for manufacturing new batteries that will give the competition the conventional nickel and cobalt batteries known to bring environmental and humanitarian risks. The new design could change the future of electric vehicle batteries and perform better than lithium-Ion across several sustainable technologies.

The cobalt and nickel-free cathode material constitute a liquid electrolyte with a high flash point. This liquid electrolyte is very safe with reduced flammability as it subdues lithium metal dendrites when charging. Flammability is one disadvantage of using lithium metals as anode materials. Cobalt and nickel, however, have been crucial in the development of the current battery technology used in laptops, cell phones, and electric vehicles.

 

In the initial tests, the battery proved it can be optimized to surpass the capabilities of lithium-ion batteries. It also can be designed for a long-life cycle. It has an extremely high-power density of more than 10,000 W/L, higher than that of conventional batteries. The high energy density sits at more than 800Wh/L, which matches that of a high-end lithium battery.

 

Using Semantic enrichment and AI technology, the engineers at IBM were able to improve the overall battery performance in the design. In collaboration with Mercedes Benz Research, Sidus, Central Glass, and Development North America, they were able to formulate a next-generation battery development plan. The battery could see an application in several markets for different applications, including power grids, electric drones, and aerial transport.

IBM Research has been using artificial intelligence techniques to discover unexplored safer materials. The team believes the battery will outdo the current battery technology in charging time, costs, flammability, and efficiency.

This blog was originally published on Taurosa’s website.

Advertisement

An Extension to Credits for Electric Vehicles

One way that governments incentivize people to make environmentally sound decisions is to create incentives. Tax credits are one of the most popular ways to do that. In recent years, the federal government has had great success in offering tax credits to Americans with electric vehicles.

 

The tax credits have been an ongoing program for several years, now. Originally, they were scheduled to expire at the end of 2015. At first, an extension was announced for 2016. The problem with the extension was that it came very late in the year, in December. In more recent years, the extensions that are announced have typically been retroactive. That means they bridge the gap between the expiration of the credit and the date of the extension.

 

The most recent extension was announced in December 2019, and it, too, is retroactive. This is great news for anyone who’s invested in electric vehicle technology recently. Prior to this measure, no one who bought an EV in 2018 or 2019 was eligible for a tax credit. The current credit extension is good through 2020. This is great news for budget-conscious and eco-conscious consumers.

 

At different times, these extensions have covered different things. One goal of the Trump Administration was to increase sales for American-made vehicles. That meant Tesla and Toyota were the only cars to get an electric vehicle credit. Since then, changes have been made so that foreign-made and used vehicles are also eligible for credits. Anyone who has purchased an electric vehicle during 2018 or 2019 is encouraged to consider filing an amended tax return. In addition to passenger cars, many of the accessories needed for electric vehicles are covered.

 

For example, anyone who installs a charger for their electric vehicle is also eligible for a credit. Credits for motorcycles, recreational vehicles and other fuel cell technology have also been announced. The amounts for these credits varies from $1,000 to $4,000. While these incentives are a great measure for consumers, industry experts have been frustrated by the way they’ve been implemented. It’s been criticized as a patchwork style system. The feeling is that a tax on carbon emissions would be a great push factor in getting more people to adopt electric vehicle technology.

This blog was originally published on Taurosa’s website.

Car Models that Will Be Discontinued in 2020

There are a ton of cars on the road. Sometimes it becomes hard to know which ones have faded from the production lines. There are a multitude of vehicles that are no longer being rolled out for 2020.

 

Chrysler 2020

 

One of the more noticeable cars that is fading from production is the Chrysler 200. This car was a smaller car several years ago, but this vehicle would be redesigned with a bigger body style in 2016. This car would do fairly well on the market, but it has become a vehicle that has been cut from production by Chrysler in 2020.

 

Ford Fiesta

 

It is surprising to see the Ford Fiesta dropped from the 2020 lineup for Ford. This was marketed as the Ford comeback vehicle. It would become one of the best-selling vehicles for the Ford brand. In the area of subcompact cars it became a very appealing vehicle to young drivers. It was also a very affordable vehicle. This is another thing that made it stand out with drivers, but Ford has still decided to discontinue this model.

 

Toyota Prius

 

The fans of short cars that are great on gas would find themselves gravitating towards the Toyota Prius when it hit the market. It became an easily recognizable car on the highway, but it never became the favorite that the Toyota Camry or the Toyota Corolla became. It was a good attempt by Toyota at the fuel economy car, but Toyota never bothered to push any serious updates for this vehicle.

 

Volkswagen Beetle

 

So many people that have fallen in love with the Volkswagen Beetle are going to have to look for an older used model if they plan to buy one in 2020 or beyond. This is another popular car that has been discontinued. It has been around for a long time, but Volkswagen is finally shutting down production on the Beetle.

 

Chevrolet Impala

 

It is not just the compact cars that are being discounted. The Impala is one of the American staples in the sedan world. The design has been altered in a number of ways over the years. It has become a widely recognized vehicle that has evolved, but 2019 marked this end of the Impala’s evolution and production.

This blog was originally published on Taurosa’s website.

This Car’s Mind-Blowing Speeds

Koenigsegg is a Swedish car manufacturer that has been gradually developing numerous supercars and hypercars. Their cars are well-known for high quality, high-performing, and innovation. After Bugatti broke the 300 mph speed limit barrier with their new Chiron model, Koenigsegg noted that they will soon be completing a hypercar that can exceed the speed set by the Bugatti Chiron. The latest Koenigsegg model, the hybrid Koenigsegg Regera, recently reached nearly 250 mph without the use of a gearbox. Christian Von Koenigsegg, the founder of Koenigsegg, mentioned that the brand has even faster cars in development.

Koenigsegg Regera
The Koenigsegg Regera is powered by the combination of a twin-turbocharged 5.0-liter V8 engine and three separate electric motors. Rather than using a traditional gearbox setup, the Regera uses Koenigsegg’s Koenigsseg Direct Drive powertrain. The Direct Drive transmission allows the power curve of the Regera to be much more linear than the power curves of other cars. Additionally, the Regera can apply power to the ground more smoothly as a result of its transmission. The Regera makes over 1500 horsepower and 1475 pound-feet of torque depending on the fuel that a driver uses. The Koenigsegg Regera can be fueled with 91 octane, 95 octane, and E85 fuel.

Koenigsegg Jesko
The Koenigsegg Jesko hasn’t been released yet but is expected to release by 2021. With a cost of nearly $6.5 million, four Jesko models have already been pre-ordered in Australia. The Jesko is capable of producing nearly 300 horsepower through the use of a 5.0-liter engine. While the Jesko hasn’t been tested for top speed yet, Koenigsegg believes that the model will surpass 300 mph. The company may encounter issues with testing the top speed, however.

To read the full article, written by Robert Taurosa, make sure to click the link.

Value in the Vehicle: When Buying New Over Used Makes Sense

A vehicle is one of the greatest investments a person is going to put their money towards. There are several factors to consider when trying to decide which vehicle is the correct purchase. Sometimes it turns out that certain vehicles provide more value new than used. Take a look at some of the remarkable automobiles that fit that distinction.

Better New Than Used

SUVs are one of the most popular types of vehicles on the roadways today. They provide plenty of cargo space, entertainment, safety features and overall performance that gets consumers excited about taking one out for a spin. SUVs are not only a popular choice on the roads but a popular choice to purchase new compared to used.

There are large SUVs, compact SUVs and subcompact SUVs to transport people all over the place. Many SUVs provide more value purchased new as opposed to used. The Porche Macan makes the list. Those looking for luxury would find a 14.5 percent price difference with new compared to used. The Macan is the lowest cost-model of the lineup offered by Porsche, making it a desirable SUV for those looking for the luxury badge.

Honda offers the HR-V, the subcompact crossover that is one of the best cars to buy new over used with its 10.5 percent price difference. The subcompact vehicle is known for having a surprisingly large amount of cargo room and terrific fuel estimates. If one is looking for a vehicle on the list other than an SUV, the Toyota Tacoma should do.

The Tacoma is known for its durability and reliability on the roads. It holds value well in the used vehicle market, remaining 12.3 percent more expensive new. There’s always demand for a pickup truck, and the Tacoma is just the right size to satisfy plenty of consumers nationally.

In order to read the full article, written by Robert Taurosa, make sure to click the link.

Volvo’s First All-Electric Vehicle

Electric vehicle (EV) technology has come an immensely long way since its initial introduction in 1827. As a result of the urgency to find more environmentally-friendly vehicle solutions, there has been a race between automotive manufacturers to develop more efficient EV technologies. The new Volvo XC40 Recharge is a pure EV that was recently unveiled at a 2019 Los Angles auto show. The XC40 is a model that is currently in production among Volvo’s lineup of vehicles, but the Recharge is an EV trim level of the XC40.

Power
The Volvo XC40 Recharge will be powered by a 78 kWh battery pack that sits underneath the passenger side of the SUV. The dual-motor setup of the XC40 Recharge will produce a total of 402 horsepower and 486 pound-feet of torque. Volvo has estimated that a dead XC40 battery pack can be recharged to 80% of its power in around 40 minutes. This rapid-charge will require a DC fast-charging port.

Tech Features
The Volvo XC40 Recharge will be home to an Android Automotive operating system (OS) and will allow updates to the system to be completed wirelessly. Much like Tesla, Volvo is expecting to offer routine updates to their XC40 Recharge models. These updates will allow the models to retain optimal performance while reducing any bugs in the operating systems.

In order to read the full article, written by Robert Taurosa, make sure to click the link.

Investing in Life Insurance to Use it for Investing in the Future

If you have heard that life insurance can be an actual financial investment, you may be wondering how you can use coverage to prepare for a better future. Most people purchase life insurance for the death benefits, but some policies have additional features and benefits that differentiate them as an investment product. By understanding what type of policy to purchase and what to expect from life insurance as an investment reasonably, you can more easily determine how to set up your new coverage.

Choosing the Right Policy Type

Term life insurance is a product that most people are familiar with. With term life insurance, you select a term length at the time of purchase. Coverage remains in effect throughout the term length as long as the premium continues to be paid.  Permanent life insurance also has death benefits, but it has two additional features. First, the death benefits remain in effect throughout the insured’s lifetime. Second, the policy has a cash accumulation feature. A small portion of each premium payment is deposited into the cash account. This is an interest-bearing account so that it will increase in value over time. If you intend to use life insurance as an investment, you must set up a policy that has a cash accumulation feature.

Setting Realistic Expectations

A life insurance investment is most closely equated to a savings account, but the return is usually substantially higher. Depending on the type of policy that you set up, you may enjoy a fixed or adjustable rate of return. Even though the return is usually higher than that of a typical savings account, the return may still be lower than what you may generate through many other types of investments. The return varies by provider and by policy, so explore the options carefully.

Your life insurance policy’s cash value can accumulate to a sizable amount of money over the years. This money may be accessed to make future investments, such as to make a down payment on a rental property or to invest in a business. You may also borrow against the amount if you wish to keep the life insurance policy benefits in place. Because features and benefits vary by policy and by the provider, it is essential to compare the options before setting up coverage closely.

Checking Your Tire Pressure

Your tires are the physical connection between your car and the road. The state of this connection can determine the quality of your driving experience, and there are good reasons to make sure your tires remain in good condition.

Safety is reason number one, of course. According to NHTSA, under inflated tires lead to a variety of safety hazards including longer stopping distances and blowouts. If they’re overinflated, tires will wear unevenly, resulting in weak spots. The bottom line is that improperly inflated tires can result in unreliable performance and potentially tire failure.

Avoiding fuel waste is another important reason to monitor tire pressure. Poorly inflated tires roll over the road inefficiently, resulting in fuel waste. According to DMV.org, you can save up to 3% in fuel mileage by keeping tires properly inflated.

Maintaining the correct air pressure in your tires is pretty simple.

It’s so easy today to know when you need to check tire pressure. If your car was made in or after 2008, it’s required to have a Tire Pressure Monitoring System (TPMS). If one of your tires loses air, a warning light shows up on your dash. You can then use a tire pressure gauge on rested, cooled tires to see which tire is low on air.

Just fit the bulb over the tire’s valve stem and push until the pin causes a small amount of air to escape. As the air leaves the tire and enters the pressure gauge, a rod resembling a ruler will extend from the other end of the gauge. The number closest to the gauge is the air pressure expressed in PSI (parts per square inch).

If the number is lower than your car’s manufacturer recommends, you need to add more air. If the number is higher, you need to release air by pressing on the valve stem carefully. Let out a little air at a time and measure frequently to make sure you don’t wind up with too little air.

If your car doesn’t have TPMS, you can still check the air pressure regularly and add or remove air to keep tires performing well.

While weather and street conditions are beyond your control, the state of your tires is not. Checking and maintaining correct tire pressure will help to keep yourself and others on the road safe.

What You Need to Know About Borrowing from a Life Insurance Policy

When life insurance policies were first introduced, they were meant to cushion the beneficiary from financial worry in the event of the insured’s death. However, as time passed by, life insurance incorporated savings and investment into the package. Policies such as whole life and universal life insurance provide cash value back to the insured.

What You Need to Know

You cannot ask for a loan if you have a term life insurance policy. This is because the insurer does not offer any additional benefits. A term policy is only meant to benefit your beneficiaries in case you die before the contract expires.

If your policy has a cash value, think before you ask for the loan. Find out how the loan will affect your policy. Typically, when you borrow on your life insurance policy, the cash value acts as collateral. If you fail to pay back the loan, the insurer can take the cash value. However, you run the risk of losing your entire policy if the interest payments plus the actual loan amount is more than the cash value.

Before you borrow on your life insurance policy, the cash value has to be substantial. Usually, you build this value through years of saving. Talk to a qualified financial planner about how you can build up this cash value.

When asking for the loan, the insurance company will give you a form to fill. Watch out for hidden costs in the form. For example, is there an ‘opportunity cost‘ that you may have to pay? Find out if you can afford to pay the interest payments. Make sure that the loan and interest repayments won’t affect the death benefit portion of your policy.

Borrowing on your life insurance policy is much easier than borrowing from the bank. You don’t have to go through a lengthy application process. You ask, and if the cash value is sufficient, you get your loan.  

Before you borrow on your life insurance, make sure that you have the right policy. A term life policy does not allow you to borrow while a whole life policy will enable you to do so. Then, talk to a financial planner to see how the loan will affect policy benefits.

Should You Purchase Supplemental Life Insurance at Work?

Supplemental life insurance is an extra life insurance policy. The employer will offer this policy as a benefit for the employee. You should purchase supplemental insurance at work if the policy meets your needs. Here are a few reasons why the employee buys this policy at work. The employee can afford the policy. The employee has a family. The employee can keep the policy. Use the following guidelines to help you make an informed buying decision about supplemental life insurance.

Affordable Payments

First, an employee will most likely buy supplemental insurance because it is affordable. Insurance companies will offer lower rates to a group of employees. This is called group life insurance. For example, an employee making $50,000 annually may receive $50,000 of life insurance at no cost. The employer will pay for the policy. Then, the employee may have the option to buy more coverage at a much lower rate. The options can turn the $50,000 policy into a $500,000 policy. A $500,000 policy will fill the gaps and help the family when the employee die.

Provide for Family

Next, the employee will purchase supplemental life insurance to provide for the family. If you get a supplemental policy from work, try to get a guaranteed renewable policy. This is the best term policy. When the employee is sick and cannot work, the insurance company has to honor the contract as long as the employee pay the monthly payment. The family can receive the $500,000 death benefit to pay medical expenses, funeral expenses, credit cards, mortgage payments, college costs, taxes and much more. A low-cost life insurance supplemental policy can help the family.

Keep the Policy

Then, the employee purchases supplemental insurance to keep the policy for life. When buying this policy, it is essential to think about making payments for many years. Buy the policy at work that you can keep for the rest of your life. The objective is to keep the policy enforced and to keep expenses as low as possible. Find out if the policy is portable before you sign the contract. Find out if the policy will also cover you and your family.

Finally, this information is not financial advice. It is written only to inform the readers.