DRIVEN rebate lifts to $50,000 a site and now covers EV workshop equipment

Round 3 of the Federal Government’s DRIVEN rebate stream has opened with the per-site cap lifted to $50,000 and eligibility widened beyond charging hardware to cover EV servicing and repair equipment.

Dealerships and EV repairers can now claim against personal protective equipment, high-voltage toolkits and battery diagnostics equipment, at up to 80% of eligible costs. Charger rebates continue at up to $3,000 per plug, capped at $21,000 within the site cap, with up to $250 available towards third-party application fees.

Applications close on 30 April 2027. Eligibility covers automotive dealerships and EV repair businesses nationwide. The department says rounds 1 and 2 supported more than 400 dealerships and EV repair businesses.

DRIVEN, the Dealership and Repairer Initiative for Vehicle Electrification Nationally, sits under the Driving the Nation Fund and was established with $60 million over five years from 2024-25. A separate $20 million grant stream funds public fast chargers at dealerships, service centres and EV repairers.

The Australian Automotive Dealer Association put the workshop expansion to government in its pre-budget submission.

“Franchised dealers are investing millions of dollars in specialised equipment and workplace safety measures to support Australia’s growing EV fleet, and the expansion of the DRIVEN Program acknowledges these real-world costs,” AADA chief executive James Voortman says.

“These changes will help dealers meet the challenges of the fastest transition the Australian automotive industry has ever experienced while ensuring motorists continue to have access to safe, high-quality EV sales, servicing and repair facilities.”

Voortman says the outcome shows the value of industry consultation, and that the government has recognised the transition requires more than charging infrastructure alone.

AADA consumer research has 71% of customers open to an EV saying they would consider a new EV over a used one, which the association uses to argue franchised dealers carry the transition through servicing and advice as well as sales.

Climate change and energy minister Chris Bowen framed the expansion against EV uptake, saying electric vehicle sales have overtaken petrol car sales in Australia for the first time.

That holds on an all-sources basis. Battery electric vehicles reached 27,089 in August across all reporting sources against 25,824 petrol vehicles in VFACTS, a margin of 1,265. On VFACTS alone, which excludes Tesla and Polestar, battery electric sales were 19,257 and trailed petrol by 6,567.

The comparison also rests on VFACTS counting conventional hybrids separately from petrol. Combining the two puts petrol-engined vehicles at 44,486 for the month, ahead of battery electric by 17,397.