DRIVEN Charger Rebate Stream: everything you need to know about the $3,000 smart charger rebate

If you're an auto dealership or EV repairer in Australia, the Australian Government will pay you up to $3,000 for every smart EV charger you install at your site. The DRIVEN Charger Rebate Stream Round 3 is open now and closes 30 April 2027, with annual rounds running until 2029.

This round also adds something new: rebates for EV-specific workshop equipment, tools, and PPE. Combined with the charger rebates, you can claim up to $50,000 per site.

Here's everything you need to know.

What is the DRIVEN Charger Rebate Stream?

DRIVEN stands for Dealership and Repairer Initiative for Vehicle Electrification Nationally. It's a federal government program under the Driving the Nation Fund, designed to help the Australian automotive industry gear up for the shift to electric vehicles.

The idea is straightforward: as more EVs hit Australian roads (pushed along by the New Vehicle Efficiency Standard), dealerships and repairers need charging infrastructure and the right equipment on site. The DRIVEN program offsets those costs with rebates.

The program has been running since 2024 and operates in annual rounds. The current round opened in 2026 with over $18.8 million in available funding. Applications are assessed on a first-come, first-served basis until the money runs out.

You can learn more about available rebates and apply here

What's new in Round 3?

Previous rounds covered EV chargers only. Round 3 expands the scope significantly:

EV-specific workshop equipment is now eligible. That includes PPE, specialist tools, and lifting equipment that meets AS 5732:2022 (the Australian Standard for EV maintenance and repair). The rebate covers up to 80% of eligible expenditure on this equipment, with item-specific caps outlined in the guidelines.

You can claim again even if you received funding in Round 1 or 2. The site cap of $50,000 carries across all rounds. So if you claimed $9,000 in charger rebates previously, you still have $41,000 of headroom, including up to $12,000 more in the charger category and the full workshop equipment allocation.

Multiple claims per site are now allowed. You can submit more than one application for the same site (up to the $50,000 cap), which means you can stage your investment over time rather than doing everything in one go.

A few things to note. You need at least $5,000 in eligible expenditure per application to qualify, and that can be made up of chargers, equipment, or both. The rebate itself is GST-free. And rebates are calculated per plug, not per charger unit, so a dual-plug charger counts as two.

Who's eligible?

You can apply if your primary business activity is one of the following:

Licensed motor dealer or trader. This includes new and used car dealerships, plus service centres associated with a licensed dealer. If you operate multiple franchisee agreements from one site, you can submit a separate application for each manufacturer.

Automotive repair business. You need to operate from a non-residential commercial premises, comply with AS 5732:2022, and have at least one staff member qualified to work on EVs.

In both cases, you'll need an ABN and an Australian bank account. Each application covers one site, so if you have multiple locations, you'll need to apply separately for each.

What counts as an eligible charger?

There's no approved product list. Instead, any fixed EV charger that meets the "smart" requirement qualifies. That means it must have an online connection that allows monitoring, managing, and adjusting energy consumption.

Portable DC chargers are also eligible, though portable AC chargers are not. For portable DC units, a licensed electrician needs to assess the outlet as safe for the additional load.

Fixed chargers must have been purchased and installed on or after 26 March 2024. Workshop equipment must have been purchased on or after 12 May 2026. All eligible spending needs to happen before the program's end date of June 2029.

Does Evnex qualify?

Yes. Evnex chargers are smart EV chargers with full online connectivity for monitoring, managing, and adjusting energy consumption, which means they meet the DRIVEN scheme's requirements.

Every Evnex charger (E2 Flex, E2 Core, E2 Plus, and X22) connects via Wi-Fi, with the E2 Plus and X22 also offering 4G connectivity. All models include energy monitoring through the Evnex app, along with features like charge scheduling, overload protection, and remote management.

For dealerships and repairers with solar on site, the E2 Core, E2 Plus and X22 also include solar diversion, so your chargers use excess solar production first before drawing from the grid. That reduces your operating costs on top of the rebate. These three chargers also support load management, meaning it can coordinates multiple chargers to stay within your site's electrical capacity.

For sites needing higher-powered charging, the X22 delivers up to 22kW charging on three-phase power.  

How to apply

Applications go through the Australian Government's business grants portal. Here's the process:

1. Read the grant opportunity guidelines first. They're available on the DRIVEN Charger Rebate Stream page and cover everything from eligible expenditure to the assessment criteria.

2. Gather your documentation. You'll need proof of your ABN, motor dealer/trader licence (or repairer credentials), invoices and receipts for eligible purchases, and evidence that installation was completed by a licensed electrician.

3. Apply through the portal. Create an account (or log in) at portal.business.gov.au and follow the instructions to submit. One application per site.

4. Wait for assessment. Applications are reviewed in the order they're received. The program delegate makes the final decision on eligibility and funding amount.

Be thorough with your application. If there are errors or missing attachments, you won't be contacted to fix them. Your application will simply be marked unsuccessful. You can retrieve and update your application before the close date, but not after.

What to do next

Round 3 is open now with $18.8 million available, assessed first-come, first-served. If you've been putting off installing chargers at your dealership or workshop, this is the time.

Get in touch with Evnex to find the right charger setup for your site, then apply through the government portal. If you already claimed in Round 1 or 2, check your remaining headroom and consider adding workshop equipment under the new category.

For full program details, visit the DRIVEN Charger Rebate Stream page on business.gov.au.