The two main workhorses of electric cars have been autonomy and recharging time. The first has already been solved with higher capacity batteries, such as those of the Volkswagen ID.3, which with alternatives of 58 and 77 kWh, offer up to 420 and 549 kilometers of range, respectively.

The second is still in process, and although it is progressing with the deployment of an increasingly widespread public charging network, there is still a long way to go. And that’s where a reliable and well-performing charging infrastructure at home becomes almost essential.

Because it will be our private gas station to supply us with electricity in less time than with conventional household plugs.

To meet that need, Volkswagen offers all plug-in hybrid or electric model customers with ID wall chargers. Charger, a simple solution, easy to use and with affordable prices. Above all, Volkswagen offers a qualified, personalized and professional installation and assembly service.

The equipment consists of a wall device (it can also be placed on other fixed surfaces) with a modern design and contained measurements (about 40 x 30 centimeters).

And it’s available with three trim variants, each with different customization options. In addition, it is even compatible with models from other manufacturers that use a type 2 charging connection, that is, with practically all European electric vehicles.

The customer can choose between three variants, all of them compatible with single-phase recharges of 7.4 kW (80% load between seven and eight hours for the ID.3) and three-phase of 11 kW (80% in six hours for the same model ), which can be chosen depending on the electrical installation of each home.

The first alternative is the ID. Charger (399 euros), the most basic model, which has an integrated charging cable to facilitate the process and avoids the hassle of taking it out and picking it up after the car and having a place to store it when you finish at home.

The ID. Charger Connect (599 euros) is the intermediate solution and adds additional functions, such as access protection via RFID, a radio frequency identification and communication system that, for example, prevents someone else in a community garage from using the charger.

And also Internet connectivity, either by Ethernet cable or by Wi-Fi, and all from a mobile application, either to control the charging processes, give permission to other vehicles so that they can use the charger, etc.

Lastly, the ID. Charger Pro (849 euros) includes all of the above and adds a meter with MID (Measurement Instrument Directive) certification, which allows you to accurately calculate and record electricity consumption, a very useful function for cars and company fleets.

The hiring process is very simple, it can be done online and allows you to configure the different options of the charging station at the click of a button: choose the 4.5 meter cable (free) or the 7.5 meter cable (per 50 euros), select the load capacity and specify the type of home where it will be installed.

Installation prices vary depending on whether it is a single-phase or three-phase system, whether it is a single-family home or a flat, and the chosen charger. And they cover a range that goes from 950 to 1,430 euros.

In the case of single-family homes, they do not depend on anyone outside to do the installation, but in garage spaces in neighboring communities it is necessary to connect the charging point to their own electricity meter and, although their approval is not required, they must notify the president of the community or the administrator 30 days in advance.

The service offered by Volkswagen includes a technical verification to assess the feasibility of the installation, home inspection, installation and configuration of the ID.

Charger and 24 months warranty. In addition, the price includes 15 meters of cable if it is a single-family home and up to 25 meters with its pipeline if it is a community of neighbors, a maximum of two wall steps, electrical protections and an electrical panel with IP sealing 65 – IK 09 – Class II and lock in case of floor installation.

If additional items, materials or services are required that are not included in the initially described standard package, additional costs may be incurred directly with the Volkswagen installation partner.

their physical work centers has been constant and growing. The end of telework, or at least its preferential nature, is just around the corner.

And it still happens that many workers have health and safety concerns about this situation. For this reason, companies are developing systems and technologies that guarantee work environments free from the threat of contagion.

“When we talk about a covid-free space, we mean that it is for people, employees and customers,” says José Daniel García Espinel, Director of Innovation at Prosegur, a company that works in the field of security.

“There are two types of technologies: some focused on the work environment, the building itself; and others focused on the specific safety of the employee ”. According to García Espinel, these systems, with a clear practical approach and far from science fiction, will soon reach most work environments.

“They are safe-employee technologies . The idea is that they give peace of mind and minimize the risk of contagion ”, he summarizes.

One of the measures that we could see shortly is the so-called digital company passport. Using a color code, this functionality, available on mobile phones, will indicate to employees whether or not they can enter the work environment when they are at access control.

The color code marks three different levels. If the passport is green, the employee can access. If it is in yellow, a case that occurs if the employee has been in contact with someone infected or has suspicious symptoms, he or she must telework and go to a health center to get the relevant checks. If it is red, the employee will not be able to access.

A fundamental element of the passport is the ability to perform self-diagnostics, a functionality that will determine the access color of the passport. Based on the protocols that each company has, the employee, before going to the office, can do a simple self-check on their health status.

“From the mobile, and based on simple questions, such as if I have a fever or muscle aches, the worker can detect contagion symptoms,” explains García Espinel. “If you are infected or have worrisome symptoms, we can remotely change the color of your passport.”

If you are at risk, your access passport will automatically turn yellow. “Subsequently, you will be instructed to telework and take the relevant medical tests at your health center,” the expert adds.

“In this way, employees with a green passport have the peace of mind of being in a work environment without people affected or at risk,” explains García Espinel, who emphasizes that this passport must be combined with external care.

“The management of the passports of an entire staff is done centrally, remotely and in real time through control centers,” he adds. “Thus, in the event of any incident or question regarding access, the worker can be assisted almost instantly”.

The health authorities of many countries have dedicated themselves to retracing the path of an infected person to isolate cases of covid-19.

This method, a kind of reverse tracing, is also replicated in the workplace. And, like the self-diagnostic functionality, it will determine the color of each employee’s digital passport.

You only need two mobiles with the same software installed. “From the moment two workers are in contact [something that the program establishes based on the distance and the time they have been together], the mobiles exchange a series of random codes sent by bluetooth.

This allows you to know, tomorrow, what codes have been close to the infected person and to notify all those people who have been close to warn them that they are at risk, ”explains García Espinel.

The system traces contacts between employees in an automated, anonymous and decentralized manner. The access passport of those who have been at risk will turn yellow. “The protocol calculates a risk score based on each contact,” continues the expert, “always guaranteeing privacy.”

Geolocation allows to know precisely which corridors and rooms an infected person has traveled or which are the areas of a company with the highest traffic.

“With geolocation, it is possible to know which are the areas, within some offices, with the highest occupational occupation”, García Espinel abounds. “This is essential to focus disinfections and cleanings of the work environment in which an affected employee has been present in those places.”

Even if we go back to the office, physical distance will still be something to respect. In order not to lose sight of this security measure, there are applications that will notify us when we breach it.

“If you are very close to another employee or do not maintain the security meter and a half, the mobile, for example, will vibrate and alert that you are skipping the protocol,” says García Espinel.

These functionalities and technologies are already grouped in a mobile app that Prosegur is testing in its own work centers. An application that, according to García Espinel, will soon be commercialized in the business world with the mission of protecting workers and clients in a simple and effective way.

Of course: “Having an app without assistance in any type of incident or problem does not work”, warns the expert. “The key is that all processes are monitored in real time by professionals from their control centers. It is this combination of technology and supervision that gives value to the system ”.

Sanipoint announces the commercialization of a rapid self-diagnosis test that detects coronavirus or influenza type A and B in 15 minutes

The same day that Pharmamar reports a PCR for the diagnosis of influenza and Covid-19 , another company, Sanipoint , reports that it has another test with the same characteristics .

The difference between the one announced by the ‘biotech’ and the one marketed by this company specialized in the sale of sanitary PPE is that the Sanipoint, being self-diagnostic, the result emerges in 15 minutes.

On the other hand, Pharmamar’s, because it is a PCR, needs laboratory tests to clarify the result, so it takes several hours.

50,000 tests per month and 95% efficiency. Sanipoint estimates go through a test demand of 50,000 units per month after verifying the penetration of the coronavirus detection kits that it already had on the market, for antibodies and antigens.

According to the results of its tests in hospitals, public organizations and private companies, the company indicates that the test is more than 95% effective.

The effectiveness of Pharmamar’s is superior with a specificity of 99.7% , the company reported in its statement on the matter to the National Securities Market Commission .

Pharmamar’s kits, which have also been selling detection PCR and antibodies since the end of March, are produced by its molecular diagnostics subsidiary, Genomica . This company has commercial agreements in more than 20 countries.

In addition, the Galician subsidiary is one of the companies awarded the Framework Agreement of the Ministry of Health that the National Institute of Health Management ( INGESA ) has tendered for the supply of up to 7.5 million molecular diagnostic tests for Covid-19 .

The company has already made its new PCR available to interested parties for exclusive sale to hospitals and professional molecular biology laboratories, which requires instrumentation and qualified personnel.

The Sanipoint rapid test also requires toilets for its use and performance, since the sale of these tests to the public is not allowed.

Sanipoint sources told finance.com that the company is confident that these kits will soon be sold in pharmacies, which would exponentially improve their sales estimates .

Pharmamar kits have brought IBEX revenues of 10.40 million euros from mid-March to the end of September.

After two quarters in the market, sales have reached 5 million euros and from the biopharmaceutical they indicate that the sales guidelines will remain stable on these figures.

The listed company directed by José María Fernández Sousa detaches the arrival of the vaccine to a market of income from these sales because it considers that the detection will continue as a fundamental tool for the control of the pandemic.

Marketing is a hard game to get into when running your own business. Analysing current trends, doing research in your area and finding professional help are all taxing things to attend to when you’re looking to increase your business’s exposure. This is all made even harder in the year of 2020. That’s why we’ve made a list below of three things you can do to attract more customers to your business:

Make/Update Your Website

If you haven’t made one already, your business should have a website. This may seem very basic, but there have been countless occasions where customers have wanted to look into a business but found them to have no online presence. Your website should be a complete package of everything your business offers and why people should give you their custom. On top of this, updating your website regularly will keep it fresh. People will want to frequently check what changes you have brought about, and it shows that you want to keep a connection with your customers.

If you feel that you’re in need of help with your SEO (Search Engine Optimisation), then look no further than Caffeine Marketing. They are a marketing agency Reading based, that can help you improve your business’s visibility. They utilise technical analysis and keyword research that is personal to your needs. Getting help from professionals in this area will completely change the game for you. An ever-adapting online presence will bring in more customers that want to see what you’re about.

Social Media

Showing yourself and your business on social media platforms adds a more human experience to your company. Giving people a look behind the curtain shows you to be more than a logo and masthead. Displaying your company as a people run company, grounds it for potential customers. You can also run competitions on social media platforms to increase your followers and notoriety. This is an especially useful technique if you are a product-based business, granting a greater exposure to what you sell and enticing people into trying to win it! If you’re looking to get started, then Facebook and Twitter are the obvious first choices. Make sure to link your posting to each site so no follower misses out.

Improving Your Look

An attractive business is a thriving business. Having a strong and recognisable logo is beneficial to much more than just your aesthetics. Having a good logo can grab the attention of casual browsers. When we see something pretty, our brain wants to investigate! You can summarise your business in a small image, keeping in mind that first impressions are very important. They stick with us whether we like it or not. So, if you feel like your look needs sprucing up, it’s definitely worth getting in touch with a graphic designer. There we have it. Increasing your customer numbers this year can be as easy as updating your website, adding a Twitter page to your portfolio or giving your logo a makeover. Stay positive and stay productive. People enjoy others’ passion. So, enjoy yourself and look forward to where this could take you.