Driving the Nation Program

Driving the Nation Program sits under the Australian Renewable Energy Agency as a continuous funding channel for zero-emission vehicles in Australia. The program supports development, demonstration and deployment projects, and the three named focus areas show that it is aimed at practical transport adoption rather than generic mobility research. It is a national program with a clear decarbonisation purpose. The program is a grant route that opened continuously on 15 October 2025 through ARENANet. The focus areas are heavy battery-electric vehicle demonstration and deployment, heavy battery-electric vehicle charging, and vehicle-to-grid innovation. The eligibility profile is broad across company, university, research and non-profit applicants, but individuals are excluded and the work must be tied to Australia. Applicants should come in with a proposal that fits one of the three focus areas and can move through ARENANet while the program remains open. The strongest submissions will be practical, deployment-oriented and clearly connected to heavy-vehicle electrification or grid integration. In other words, the program wants projects that can turn zero-emission vehicle capability into operating infrastructure or demonstrable fleet use in Australia.

Each grant below is a distinct funding opportunity with its own eligibility, scope, and deliverables.