The impact of PSC production sites on water resources is not very significant and none of the plants are located in areas with high water stress.
As for the plants of Prima Components Italia, in particular, it is divided into three categories:

• 1) industrial water collection and purification tanks (if the painting process is present, for the moulding phase the water is conveyed in a closed circuit);
• 2) civil discharges;
• 3) meteoric waters.

In the Sole Components business unit, water is mainly used for cooling presses and plants - including painting machines -, for hygienic purposes and for cleaning common places, as well as a fire reserve.

The same uses are confirmed for the PSC do Brazil business unit and Prima Components Europe, while in Twice PS water is mainly used for the cooling of presses and moulds. In the Twice PS IT plant, moreover, the steam necessary for the operation of the machines is produced by cogeneration.

In ISO 14001 certified plants the management of the most significant impacts on water resources is structured on the Deming cycle (plan – do – check – act).

In plants where the WCM methodology is present, such as Prima Components Anagni, Prima Components Ferentino, PSC Automotivos and PSMM Pernambuco, The Environment pillar also considers impacts on water resources based on interaction with different categories of stakeholders, primarily customers and suppliers.

Many sites in the group aim to reduce impacts on the resource through various initiatives, including assessing the integrity of water systems to avoid losses.

All volumes taken and discharged, as described in the tables below, refer to fresh water.

KPI of Group performance monitoring: water withdrawals and drains

SUSTAINABLE MOBILITY

For years the automotive industry has been questioning the possibility of reducing the impact of its products on the planet that hosts us. In this context, there have been many innovations brought to light recently and others are being tested in the hope of redesigning the way we will move in the following decades. We talked to Angelo Di Vico, AU of Sole Components.

What are the most striking changes in the automotive industry, regarding environmental sustainability?
«Sustainable mobility is an extremely important and current issue for our industry, both in Italy and globally. For years we have seen an effort to reduce CO2 emissions, a race that began well before the scandal of the so-called Dieselgate; in particular, companies have focused on reducing the size and weight of cars, as well as the rolling resistance of tyres, that is to say, their friction on the road surface».

Concerning vehicles power supply, what’s going on?
«In recent years, the main theme is electrification. In this evolving scenario, it seems significant to me the first 500 fully electric - technically speaking Battery Electric Vehicle (BEV) - launched on the market by FCA».

In addition to these elements, do you see other significant innovations in the long term?
«Yes, the autonomated driving that will surely be one of the crucial elements of the near future in our field».

Is it a wrong impression that electric vehicles are only based in the segment of small cars?
«Yes, because in reality there are groups like Audi that are also working on other ranges. What comes to my mind, for instance, is the e-tron, which is a car with significant dimension; in general, this brand is working on BEV vehicles capable of long journeys. But there is also Porsche with the Taycan, a model that expresses a high design and status. Finally, Tesla that in this area is definitely very far ahead».

The numbers of the electricity market are growing at a fast pace, but still represent a small percentage on the total; what can lead to a breakthrough?
«I believe that at this intermediate stage mixed-fuel vehicles will still play a crucial role, by providing a vital platform for the affirmation of fully electric vehicles. However, generally speaking, the change that we are experiencing must be, above all, cultural; otherwise, electrification and autonomated driving will not have the spread that we would expect».

What do you mean by cultural change?
«If we don’t prepare people, their habits and their infrastructure, there won’t be the necessary evolution. In other words, if these vehicles do not fit into our daily habits, the electric will make it difficult to take off. Indeed, today, the infrastructure system for electricity is not ready yet, but there are several realities ready to power it; still, they have not started at all because they do not know how this technology will actually be contextualized in the context of our real life».

Can you give us a practical example?
«We cannot think that this market only meets urban mobility needs or so little outside the city borders, but those who face frequent and long journeys for work cannot afford to wait hours for the vehicle to recharge»

Is it therefore necessary to work firmly on the infrastructure network and in particular on charging stations?
«Undoubtedly, and the reorganisation of infrastructure will have to take into account the fact that our detention in a charging station will be higher than in the traditional gas station. Today, it takes several hours to recharge the batteries of larger vehicles, excluding the 75 kWh modular stations that few people can afford. The infrastructure network for electricity shall fit in with everybody in everyday life: we will find charging stations in new places, including home and workplace».

Does the change in power also have an impact on components?
«Inevitably the shape of the vehicles will change, both inside and outside. A very simple example is related to the fact that the electric motor does not need a front grille; this is trivially because it does not need cooling like traditional engines. The 500 electric, in fact, has a flat and full grid. Materials containing some types of oil will change or even be eliminated».

What, in your opinion, is the weak point of electric vehicles with regard to their sustainability?
«The weight and disposal of batteries: today we can not think of these elements as pieces of a circular economy».

Did PSC also start producing for the electric vehicle industry?
«We started to provide details for the production of electric vehicles, but the percentage on the total is still rather small, alonside the share of electricity in daily production of such car manufacturers».