Flat battery at 7am, technician booked by 7:02
The most common breakdown in Britain is also the easiest to book. Pick the symptom, see £49, and get a battery health check included so you know whether it will happen again tomorrow.
A jump start app books a technician to start a vehicle with a flat battery. TowManVan charges from £49, which includes a free battery and alternator health check so you know whether the battery is simply flat or actually failing. It covers 12V, 24V and the 12V auxiliary batteries in electric vehicles.
A flat battery is the single most common reason a UK vehicle will not start, and the pattern is seasonal to the point of predictability. Batteries degrade quietly through summer, and the first genuinely cold morning of autumn is when thousands of them fail simultaneously, because cold reduces the available cranking current at exactly the moment the engine needs more of it.
That predictability is why the callout is worth doing properly rather than cheaply. Jump starting a car is easy. Knowing whether the battery will be flat again on Thursday is the part that has value, and it is why every callout here includes a health check.
The check measures two things. Battery state of health tells you whether the cells still hold charge. Alternator output tells you whether the car is actually recharging as you drive. A flat battery with a healthy alternator usually means something drained it: interior light, a door not shut, a short trip pattern that never fully recharges. A flat battery with a weak alternator means it will strand you again regardless of how many times it gets jumped.
Electric vehicles matter here more than people expect. An EV has a 12V auxiliary battery running the locks, screens and contactors, and when that dies the car is immobile even with a full traction pack. It is a normal 12V jump start, but it needs someone who knows where the terminals are on that model and will not go near the high-voltage system.
Commercial 24V systems on trucks and larger vans need a different booster entirely. Selecting the vehicle type at booking means the right pack arrives.
How the jump start app works
Select won't start
Choose the flat battery symptom. If the car is silent rather than turning over slowly, note that, because it changes the likely cause.
Vehicle from registration
Your plate identifies whether the vehicle is 12V, 24V or an EV with a 12V auxiliary, so the right booster pack is dispatched.
£49 confirmed
The callout price appears before you confirm, with any night multiplier or congestion charge shown as its own line.
Start and health check
The technician starts the vehicle then tests battery state of health and alternator output, and tells you which one failed.
What it costs
The health check is included at no extra cost because a jump start that does not diagnose the cause is a callout you will make again.
| Service | Price | What is included |
|---|---|---|
| Standard jump start | From £49 | 12V petrol or diesel car. Includes the battery and alternator health check. |
| EV 12V auxiliary | From £49 | Electric vehicles with a dead 12V. No work is done on the traction battery. |
| 24V commercial | From £69 | Trucks, larger vans and minibuses running 24V systems. |
| Battery health check | Included | State of health plus alternator output, on every jump start callout. |
| Night callout 23:00 to 07:00 | 1.5x | Applied to the base rate and shown before you confirm. |
| Recovery if it will not hold | From £70 | Only if the vehicle cannot be made reliably driveable on site. |
What the app does
Health check on every callout
State of health and alternator output are tested and reported, so you leave knowing whether you need a new battery or just left a light on.
EV auxiliary battery support
A dead 12V immobilises an EV with a full traction pack. Technicians know the terminal locations per model and never touch the high-voltage side.
24V commercial booster packs
Trucks and larger vans need a different pack. Vehicle type is captured at booking so the right equipment arrives first time.
Symptom detail captured
Silent versus slow cranking points at different faults. The app asks, and the technician arrives with that context.
Replacement advice, no hard sell
If the battery has failed you are told, with the specification you need. You are free to buy it wherever you like.
Escalates to recovery cleanly
If the vehicle will not hold a charge, recovery is quoted in the app rather than becoming an argument at the kerb.
App booking versus a garage callout
| Factor | TowManVan app | a garage callout |
|---|---|---|
| Price known in advance | £49 shown before booking | Quoted on arrival, often a callout plus labour |
| Diagnosis included | Battery and alternator tested | Usually just a start |
| EV 12V handled | Yes, model-specific terminal knowledge | Many decline EV work |
| Availability at 6am | 24/7 with a night multiplier | Opening hours, mostly |
| Comes to you | Yes, wherever the vehicle is | Often needs the car brought in |
jump start app questions
How much does a jump start cost in the UK?
Through the TowManVan app a jump start is from £49, including a free battery and alternator health check. Commercial 24V vehicles are from £69. Between 23:00 and 07:00 a 1.5x night multiplier applies to the base rate.
Does the app cover electric vehicles?
Yes. Electric vehicles have a 12V auxiliary battery that runs the locks, screens and contactors, and when it dies the car will not start even with a full traction battery. It is a standard 12V jump start. No work is carried out on the high-voltage system.
Why does my battery keep going flat?
Usually one of three things: the battery has reached the end of its life, the alternator is not recharging it properly, or a parasitic drain is emptying it overnight. The health check included with every callout distinguishes the first two, which is why it is worth having.
Will you replace my battery as well?
The technician will tell you the specification you need and whether replacement is genuinely required. There is no hard sell and you are free to buy the battery wherever you prefer.
Can you jump start a truck or a large van?
Yes. Vehicles running 24V systems need a different booster pack, priced from £69. Select the vehicle type at booking so the correct equipment is dispatched rather than a 12V pack that cannot do the job.
What if the car starts but dies again straight away?
That normally points to an alternator fault rather than a battery one, and the health check will confirm it. A vehicle that will not stay running is not safely driveable, so the app quotes recovery separately and you agree to it before the vehicle is loaded.
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Apply to driveTom Hargreaves - Head of Recovery Standards
Tom spent 12 years patrolling UK motorways with the AA before joining TowManVan. He signs off every recovery price and response-time claim on this page. Questions? Email tom@towmanvan.co.uk.
Last updated 19 August 2026. Apps launch 1st of October 2026.