The Australian Renewable Energy Agency (ARENA) has announced they will provide $21 million to support three new projects that expand electric vehicle (EV) charging access across Australia. The projects are funded under ARENA’s Driving the Nation Program, which aims to make EV ownership more practical and affordable for drivers.
ARENA Chief Executive Officer Darren Miller said the agency’s funding demonstrates its commitment to helping more Australians switch to cleaner transport.
“By backing innovative projects in EV charging infrastructure, we’re helping to break down barriers and make EVs accessible for more Australians, no matter where they live or drive,” Mr Miller said.
The three projects will target different parts of the EV transition:
- Flow Power will receive $18.07 million to build and operate a network of ultra-fast battery electric vehicle (BEV) charging stations across Brisbane, Melbourne and Sydney, in partnership with Gridserve.
- Essential Energy will receive $2.3 million to install public chargers in rural and regional NSW, giving drivers in country areas better access to EV charging.
- The University of Technology Sydney (UTS) and RACE for 2030 CRC will receive $1.09 million to establish Australia’s first national Vehicle-Grid Network, a three-year collaboration involving more than 20 industry partners to speed up EV integration with the electricity grid.
Regional NSW charging access
Essential Energy’s project will extend charging options beyond metropolitan centres, improving travel flexibility and equity for EV drivers in regional NSW. The rollout supports ARENA’s goal to make EV infrastructure available to all Australians, including those living outside cities.
“We’re taking the complexity and some of the costs out of installing EV chargers across our network so charge point operators can simply come into our communities and plug in,” said Essential Energy’s General Manager Commercial Development, Andrew Hillsdon.
“By enabling charge points at scale, we can deliver faster, lower-cost and more optimal public charging infrastructure than if done individually; site-by-site. We are looking to create the playbook for future installations of charging infrastructure across our network.”
New electric truck depot opens in Mascot
In addition to the new grants, ARENA-funded company Zenobē has officially opened Australia’s first off-site electric truck charging depot in Mascot, NSW, after receiving funding in September 2024. The site includes a greenfield BEV charging hub designed for heavy vehicles and will test a vehicle-as-a-service model featuring 60 electric trucks, 30 dual chargers, a second-life stationary battery and smart charging software.
ARENA’s transport decarbonisation focus
Transport accounts for about 20 per cent of Australia’s greenhouse emissions and is expected to become the country’s largest source by 2030. ARENA’s transport funding supports both electric vehicles and low-carbon fuels, aiming to help Australia cut emissions while keeping the transport sector efficient and reliable.
“The transport sector is on track to become Australia’s largest source of emissions by 2030, and these projects demonstrate the rate of progress being made in driving down these emissions, as well as the breadth of solutions required to do the job,” Mr Miller said.
Through the Driving the Nation Fund, ARENA has now allocated $266 million to road transport projects. Further support for low-carbon liquid fuels will follow under the Future Made in Australia Innovation Fund. The Advancing Renewables Program, ARENA’s open funding stream, continues to support renewable energy initiatives from early research through to commercial deployment.
