Mobile car battery testing and fitting

Private drivers, small businesses with a few vehicles, and local garages or breakdown contacts who want to pass on battery jobs.

You earn the margin on each battery, plus a fitting or call-out charge. Repeat work from small fleets and trade contacts helps fill quiet days.

• Basic car mechanical knowledge
• Confident with battery testers and vehicle electrics
• Friendly, quick customer service

• Public liability insurance, plus motor trade insurance and van cover (check what your insurer requires)
• Old lead-acid batteries are classed as hazardous waste. Carrying them away from customers usually means registering as a waste carrier, but the regulator and the type of registration differ by nation: the Environment Agency in England, Natural Resources Wales, SEPA in Scotland, or the Northern Ireland Environment Agency. Check which applies to you before you start trading
• Check the rules on storing old batteries and passing them to an authorised recycler, and keep waste transfer records
• Modern cars with start-stop systems may need the new battery registered with the car's computer, so check you have the right equipment
• Lead-acid batteries are heavy and contain acid, so use proper protective kit

Startup costs are typically around £2,000 to £9,000, depending on the van, testing equipment, initial battery stock and insurance. These are estimates, so check what your insurer requires before you buy.

Monthly revenue is typically around £1,000 to £5,000, depending on how many call-outs you take, the batteries you supply and the hours you work. This is an estimate of revenue rather than profit.

Old lead-acid batteries are classed as hazardous waste. Check whether you need to register as a waste carrier, and which regulator applies in your nation, before trading. Also check storage rules, authorised recyclers and waste transfer records.