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Plug-and-play EV software control system provider, Veepower has won the second Supercharge Australia Innovation Challenge with its unique technology that unlocks mass EV retrofits across thousands of potential installers and designers in Australia and overseas.

“We have a product that can enable anyone with a garage to repower any vehicle class into an EV with about the same effort as doing an engine swap – from individuals to company fleets. We’re incredibly excited to scale from what we’ve learned in the Supercharge Australia Innovation Challenge and unlock rapid growth in mass EV retrofits,” said Kyle Van Berendonck, founder and lead software developer of Melbourne-based Veepower, an offshoot of Cuedo Controls. The second annual Supercharge Australia Innovation Challenge winner was selected from a cohort of 12 startups with solutions to rapidly convert half the Australian vehicle fleet to electric vehicles (EVs), equivalent to more than 10 million vehicles.



“This cohort will be the spark for an industry that could electrify half the Australian vehicle fleet and increase domestic battery demand twenty times over to 1.3TWh, while providing the skills, services and equipment to emerging markets around the world,” said Kirk McDonald, Project Manager for Supercharge Australia. “In Australia alone we have the potential to generate demand for AU$181 billion worth of Australian-made lithium batteries, targeting a replacement market of AU$700 billion in vehicle sales.”

“A vehicle retrofit industry will create a jobs and skills pathway for mechanics, auto-electricians, and advanced manufacturing workers, while also accelerating the decarbonisation of our transport sector. It’s win-win, and we’re thrilled to support startups like Veepower to scale its impact,” said Megan Fisher, CEO of EnergyLab.

In 2022 the transport sector contributed to 19% of Australia’s emissions, with trucks, buses and light commercial vehicles accounting for about 40% of the total transport figure. The Challenge aimed to find solutions that can deploy up to 1.3TWh of batteries that would be required to reach this goal, starting with approximately 600GWh of heavy truck and bus batteries (plus up to 25GWh for mining), 400GWh for light trucks and commercial vehicles and 260GWh for passenger vehicles. By accelerating all forms of EV uptake, both additional CO2 emissions will be avoided and grid storage expenditure reduced.



Veepower will now have the opportunity to join an expert guided visit by Danny Kennedy, EnergyLab Director and Venture Partner at New Energy Nexus Ventures, to California’s startup ecosystem, centred in the San Francisco Bay Area. Meanwhile, the rest of the cohort remains focused on tackling the challenges in retrofitting half of Australia's vehicle fleet. The startups include:

Australian EVS - Light commercial EV retrofits for councils and fleets. - Edwin Higginson, Founder

Veepower, an offshoot of Cuedo Controls - Plug-and-play control system streamlining the EV conversion process. - Kyle Van Berendonck, Founder

Eclass Outboards- Electric outboard and marine hybrid retrofits for pleasure craft and fishing fleets. - Lynelle Johnson, Founder

Electric Power Conversions Australia - EV retrofitting mining haul trucks from 100 tonnes and up. - Clayton Franklin, Founder

Electromotiv - EV retrofitting buses for public transport and private fleets. - Adrian Salinas, Founder

Evans Electric - EV powertrain hardware and software developer specialising in axial flux motor development including e-axles. - Paul Evans, Founder

IonDNA - Power electric ATVs, utility vehicles, and farm tools from electricity generated via on-site solar power infrastructure. - Rob Ogilvie, Founder

Jaunt - EV conversion systems for classic cars and specialist commercial vehicles. - Dave Budge, Founder

Net Zero Engineering Solutions - Bi-directional EV charging solution. - Portia Rooney, Founder

OZ Electric Vehicles - Battery upscaling and “flat pack” EV retrofit kits. - Graeme Manietta, Founder

Project Midas - Next-generation graphene anode technology, improving lithium-ion battery performance and safety. - Laura Whelan, Founder

REVR - Minimised installation requirement mass EV retrofit kits. - Craig and Alexander Burton, Co-founders



Supercharge Australia is accelerating the lithium battery value chain in Australia, and is a joint project of not-for-profit cleantech startup support organisations EnergyLab in Australia and New Zealand and New Energy Nexus globally.


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