The DRIVEN Charger Rebate Stream is one part of the federal Driving the Nation Fund. It helps car dealerships and EV repairers pay for the charging equipment they need to sell and service electric vehicles. It sits alongside the certificate schemes this site covers, but works differently, so it is worth separating the two.
What the stream is
As reported on business.gov.au, the DRIVEN Charger Rebate Stream for 2026 to 2029 funds dealerships and EV repairers to buy and install EV charging units and EV-specific equipment. The reported figures are:
- up to $3,000 per eligible fixed smart charging point or portable DC charger,
- up to $21,000 for chargers per site,
- up to $50,000 per site across all categories and rounds.
At the time of writing a further round is reported to be open until 30 April 2027. Dates and caps can change between rounds, so read the current guidelines before committing spend.
How it differs from STCs
Certificate schemes pay a discount per unit of measured benefit: kWh of battery capacity for batteries, or the deemed output for solar. The grant stream pays against purchased equipment, and you apply and are approved before you spend. There is no registry, no deeming period and no trader to settle the claim. That matters for an installer: if a dealership asks you to install a charger and a battery on the same site, the battery can earn STCs through the Cheaper Home Batteries Program only if it meets that program’s rules, while the charger sits under the grant. Keep invoices separate for each so the paperwork matches the scheme.
What this means for installers
Dealerships are an emerging client group. A dealership with a large roof, a charger fleet and daytime demand is a good fit for commercial solar. Systems up to 100 kW earn STCs under the existing small-scale scheme, and from 1 October 2026 systems above 100 kW and up to 1 MW also create STCs: see mid-scale solar STCs. So a dealership project can combine a grant-funded charger with STC-discounted solar. Handle the two paths separately and do not promise the grant: approval sits with the agency, not with you.
What this means for dealerships
Check the guidelines on business.gov.au, confirm the charger models are listed as eligible and keep quotes and invoices. If you also want a battery or large solar array, ask your installer how the certificates apply and compare trader rates on pricing. For other incentives, the rebates hub has the state-by-state picture, and the V2G charger page covers bidirectional units.