It is difficult for anyone in Germany who needs a craftsman.

The customer waits a long time, appointments are made by phone or email.

The appointment is often canceled at short notice.

Gustav Theile

Editor in business.

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These are characteristics of a market that is ripe for disruption, says Philipp Schröder.

The former Germany boss of Tesla and managing director of the solar battery manufacturer Sonnen is just getting ready to set up a trade company and has the energy transition in mind as a field of activity.

He is now receiving well-known support: The grandees of the German economy are providing up to 100 million for investments with which Schröder wants to buy up other electricians, promote the energy transition and build a brand that makes the electrician profession attractive.

How big his ambitions are is clear from the name of his company: 1Komma5 °, the Paris climate target, he doesn't do it below.

"What is missing is the workbench"

According to Schröder, the up to 100 million euros come from the family offices of some of the richest Germans, from whom exactly should not be made public; they are the heirs of large corporations. The largest single investor, however, is Porsche Ventures, the car manufacturer's investment branch, said Schröder and Patrick Huke, who is responsible for European business at Porsche Ventures, in an interview with the FAZ.

“Our approach is: There are enough technologies for the energy transition. There is enough capital. Electricity from photovoltaics is now cheaper. What is missing is the workbench, ”says Schröder. Around 4,000 of the roughly 60,000 electricians in Germany are currently working on the energy transition. That is not enough to build 25 million charging points, for example. “If we want to double renewables, as the traffic light is planning, the electricians are missing.” 1Komma5 ° is therefore buying up electrician companies, consolidating them under one roof, making internal processes more digital so that communication no longer involves tedious e-mails -Traffic expires. Everything that is installed will be intelligently networked, he says. “The workbench has to be extremely efficient,” says Schröder.

He currently has 120 employees and an annual turnover of 40 million euros.

By the end of next year, Schröder wants to achieve sales of 150 to 200 million euros through further investments.

The acquired businesses themselves are in turn involved in the umbrella company.

"Not sexy enough"

The goal is clear: "We want to build a digital craft company," says Schröder, who is known for communicating his goals aggressively - similar to his former supervisor, Tesla boss Elon Musk.

He attributes the high entry barriers to the fact that such a craftsmen's group has not yet existed, for example the qualification of a master craftsman.

The situation is similar in most countries; it is a very small, fragmented market.

What role does Porsche play? “No matter how many electric vehicles we can get on the road if the workbench and charging infrastructure have not been clarified,” says Patrick Huke from Porsche Ventures. For him, it is less about the electricians than about "the great vision of sustainable power supply". The aim is "to address the entire value chain, not just the electric car, but also the sustainable generation and storage of energy". He speaks of “intelligent networking through to the charging infrastructure”.

Schröder expects the Porsche investment to increase awareness and strengthen his brand. “We also opted for Porsche because of the branding,” he says. Energy and oil companies also wanted to invest, but he refused. “With Porsche you stay premium and you stay sexy. The electricians know the local Porsche centers. ”This is how he wants to make the job exciting again:“ Being an electrician is not sexy enough. The talent doesn't go into the industry, ”he says. This is also due to the factories, which are outdated and have too little money. “We are more exciting than a field, forest and meadow craftsman. We have a purpose, ”he uses a fashionable marketing term that means that the company's purpose goes beyond making money.

He wants to further increase the attractiveness - as an employer and as a provider of climate-friendly tradesmen's services - with showrooms in the city centers;

cautious as he is, he names Apple and Tesla stores as role models.

The first two are to open in Hamburg and Lingen in Lower Saxony.

There will then be an electricity tariff for e-car drivers at the beginning of next year.

That should - who is surprised?

- better than Tesla's.