*New product offering*
Starting today, Otovo will add electric vehicle chargers to its product lineup in Germany in response to the German government’s 'Solar Power for Electric Cars' subsidy program that debuts at midnight 26 September 2023.
The program grants homeowners who purchase solar energy systems, battery storage, and charging stations, up to 10.200 EUR in cash support. The program has an initial size of €500 million, which is expected to be sufficient for 50-70.000 homeowners, depending on the average size of systems that will end up being supported.
This development has prompted Otovo to quickly expand its current product lineup to include electric vehicle chargers in Germany, ensuring they can cater to all German customers looking to benefit from the new scheme. Chargers are now accessible for all German customers buying through Otovo.
The addition of an electric vehicle charger is expected to boost the ticket size in Germany. The charger and installation add close to 2000 EUR per project as a direct increase, and in addition most customers add more panels to their purchase in order to cover the increased energy needs from an electric car.
– In the near future all homes and cars will run on clean, home made energy. The Germans get this and have made a plan to accelerate the transition, at a time where other governments seem to wavering or stalling, says Andreas Thorsheim, Chief Executive Officer of Otovo ASA.
*New General Manager in Germany*
Artur Schreiber will join Otovo to be General Manager for Germany. Schreiber will join Otovo on 1 November 2023. An experienced executive, Schreiber has co-founded ZenAdmin (all-in-one IT management suite for SMBs) and was previously CEO of FoodPanda in Germany and CEO of Delivery Hero in Austria, where he proved his ability to rapidly scale up platform businesses. He started his career at Boston Consulting Group (BCG) as management consultant.
— We are thrilled to welcome Artur to our team. He is exceptionally skilled at the exact tasks that lie ahead of Otovo in a competitive, fast growing German market. His extensive operational experience in other marketplaces will be invaluable as we embark on a new chapter with more technologies and a bigger role to play in people’s homes, says Thorsheim.
— Once again I am honored that individuals of Arturs caliber trust in us and commit the next step of their career to our mission of putting solar panels on every roof and batteries into every home. And chargers in every garage, I should start adding today, remarks Thorsheim.
- I'm delighted to be joining such an amazing company, especially at such a crucial juncture in the renewables market for Germany. Having observed Otovo's journey from its inception, I'm truly impressed by how early the company recognized the potential of solar and residential energy for consumers and its unique ability to quickly adapt to consumers demands. Now, as we expand our portfolio to include EV chargers in Germany, I'm enthusiastic about the possibilities ahead. It's an exciting time for both Otovo and the energy sector in Germany, and I'm eager to lead the charge in delivering solar panels, batteries, and EV chargers to homes across the country. Great times ahead!, Schreiber remarks.
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About Artur Schreiber:
- General Manager Germany, Otovo, 2023-
- Co-Founder, ZenAdmin, 2022-2023
- CEO Germany, FoodPanda, 2021-2022
- CEO Austria, Delivery Hero, 2018-2021
- Consultant, BCG, 2016-2018
- Co-Founder, Whitebox Concepts, 2012-2014
- Co-Founder, SLS Profishop GmbH & Co. KG, 2007-2012
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About Otovo: For homeowners, Otovo is the easiest way to get solar panels on the roof, and batteries in the home. Otovo is a marketplace that organises hundreds of local, high quality and qualified energy installers. The company uses its proprietary technology to analyse the potential of any home and finds the best price and installer for customers based on an automatic bidding process between available installers.
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