The Australian Government’s DRIVEN Program provides funding to help automotive dealerships, service centres and qualified EV repairers prepare for the continuing growth of electric vehicles.
However, there are two separate DRIVEN funding streams, with different purposes and eligibility requirements. At the time of writing, the standard Charger Rebate Stream is between funding rounds, while the larger Charger Grant Stream remains open for public fast-charging projects.
What is the DRIVEN Program?
DRIVEN stands for the Dealership and Repairer Initiative for Vehicle Electrification Nationally.
The national program supports automotive businesses as they transition towards selling, servicing and repairing more electric vehicles. It is intended to increase the availability of EV charging equipment at dealerships and repair businesses while improving staff and customer familiarity with EV technology.
The program is scheduled to operate over five years, from 2024–25 to 2028–29.
DRIVEN Charger Rebate Stream
The Charger Rebate Stream provides funding towards the purchase and installation of eligible fixed smart chargers and portable DC chargers at automotive dealerships and qualified EV repair businesses.
Rounds 1 and 2 have now closed. The Australian Government has advised that Round 3 will open during the second half of 2026.
The Round 3 guidelines are still being developed but are expected to include:
- Increased funding per eligible site
- Additional eligible EV-specific workshop expenses
- Support for the purchase and installation of smart EV charging equipment
The final rebate amounts, eligibility requirements and opening date have not yet been released.
What was available under the previous round?
Under the previous funding round, eligible businesses could receive:
- Up to $3,000 per eligible charging plug or portable DC charger
- Up to $21,000 per eligible site
- Funding towards eligible charger installation costs
- Limited assistance with third-party application administration costs
These amounts applied to the previous round and should not be assumed to apply to Round 3.
Who was eligible under the previous rounds?
Previous applicants were required to be an eligible Australian business operating as one of the following:
- A licensed motor vehicle dealer or trader
- A service centre associated with a licensed dealer or trader
- A qualified automotive repair business equipped and trained to work on electric vehicles
EV repair businesses were also required to meet relevant qualification and safety requirements.
The final Round 3 eligibility criteria should be checked when the new guidelines are published.
What is an eligible smart EV charger?
Under previous DRIVEN guidelines, fixed chargers were required to have an online connection that allowed their electricity consumption to be monitored, managed and adjusted.
There was no specific list of approved charger brands. Equipment instead needed to meet the program’s technical and smart-charging requirements.
This makes charger selection important. The equipment must suit both the funding requirements and the operational needs of the dealership or workshop.
Factors to consider include:
- Required AC or DC charging speeds
- The number and types of vehicles being charged
- Workshop and customer parking durations
- Available electrical capacity
- Charger access and authentication
- Energy monitoring and reporting
- Load management
- Future expansion
- Charge Point Operator integration for public charging
Businesses should not purchase equipment on the assumption that it will qualify under Round 3 until the final guidelines have been released.
DRIVEN Charger Grant Stream
The DRIVEN Charger Grant Stream is separate from the standard rebate program. It supports larger projects involving new public fast-charging stations installed at dealership and EV repairer locations.
A total funding pool of $20 million is available, with grants of up to $8 million per application.
Applications are currently open and close at 5:00 pm AEST on Friday, 28 August 2026.
Eligible projects must:
- Deliver new public fast-charging infrastructure
- Install chargers at eligible dealership or EV repairer premises
- Include at least 25 charging bays across the application
- Provide at least one CCS2 connector for each charging bay
- Meet the applicable government minimum operating standards
- Be completed by 31 March 2029
Funding may cover up to:
- 50% of eligible expenditure in metropolitan areas
- 80% of eligible expenditure in regional and journey-enablement areas
Eligible expenditure may include charging equipment, installation, civil works, electricity network connections, necessary electrical upgrades and on-site batteries.
This stream is mainly suited to dealership groups, vehicle manufacturers, Charge Point Operators and other organisations developing larger public charging networks. Applicants can also partner with dealerships or repairers that are interested in hosting public fast chargers.
Preparing your site for an application
Installing EV chargers involves considerably more than selecting the charging equipment. Before committing to a project, businesses should understand their site conditions, electrical capacity and operating requirements.
A detailed site assessment should consider:
- The property’s electrical supply and existing demand
- Switchboard condition and available capacity
- Proposed charger locations
- Cable routes and civil works
- Communications and internet connectivity
- AC and DC charging requirements
- Dynamic load management
- Public or private charger access
- CPO and payment-system requirements
- Opportunities for future expansion
- Project costs and delivery timeframes
Electrical data logging may also be required to establish an accurate record of the site’s demand and determine how much EV charging can be supported.
How Charging EVolution can help
Charging EVolution supplies and installs commercial EV charging infrastructure for dealerships, workshops and commercial properties across Victoria.
We begin by understanding how charging will be used at your site and then assess the existing electrical infrastructure and available capacity. Based on our findings, we can provide a detailed proposal covering:
- Suitable AC and DC charging equipment
- Associated electrical and civil works
- Static or dynamic load management
- Communications and CPO connectivity
- Project costs
- Provision for future expansion
Our in-house electrical team can manage the installation, commissioning and ongoing support.
While final funding eligibility is determined by the Australian Government, we can assist with the technical site assessment, charging-system design and project documentation needed to properly plan your installation.
Interested in preparing for DRIVEN Round 3?
If you operate a Victorian dealership, service centre or qualified EV repair business, now is a sensible time to assess your site and prepare for the next funding round.
Contact Charging EVolution on 0452 664 842 or email info@chargingevolution.com.au to arrange an initial discussion.
Official program information
Program dates, funding amounts and eligibility requirements can change. Always review the current guidelines before purchasing equipment or commencing work: