No. 01
The Overnight Driver
Your car was fine yesterday but won't crank this morning. Often a parasitic drain (interior light, dashcam, faulty boot switch) - a jump and a 30-minute drive will usually rebuild charge.
Private Clientele · By Reputation
Reserved for the discerning few. You are not most drivers - and you do not weigh three quotes before you call.
Mobile Jump-Start Service - Standard from £80 / Premium-Car from £140
Flat battery in a NCP, on the kerb in Soho, or on a side street in Clapham? We'll be with you in 30-45 minutes with portable lithium jump packs that work on every modern battery type. Standard service from £80; the premium-car tier (Bentley, Ferrari, Porsche, Range Rover, Mercedes-AMG and similar prestige vehicles) is from £140 to cover the additional handling and ECU-safe protocols.
35MIN
Average arrival
Central London · measured monthly
32/32
London boroughs
28 postcodes daily · 24/7
4.9★
487+ reviews
Verified Google + Trustpilot
4.9/5 · 487+ reviews
Jump-Start · From £80
35-min average response · 24/7
The short version
Jump-Start done properly, the first time.
You get a fixed price before any driver moves. The closest qualified team is dispatched from our Central London control room, with the right equipment for your vehicle and the route already mapped around bus gates, ULEZ and tunnel diversions. No membership, no surcharges, no surprises when we pull up.
£80
Starting price
35 min
Avg response
32
Boroughs covered
4.9/5
Google rating
Insurance
£5m public liability + goods-in-transit
Compliance
Euro 6 fleet, ULEZ-clean
Trade
Direct employees, no subcontractors
Dispatch
One London control room, 24/7
Key Facts
Everything at a glance.
| Standard starting price | From £80 per call-out |
|---|---|
| Premium-car starting price | From £140 per call-out (Bentley, Ferrari, Range Rover, Porsche, AMG, etc.) |
| Maximum price cap | £250 (vehicle-dependent) |
| Response time | 30-45 minutes Central London |
| Battery types covered | AGM, EFB, Standard, Start-Stop |
| Coverage area | All 32 London boroughs |
| Availability | 24 hours, 365 days a year |
| Membership required | No |
| Payment | Card, cash, Apple Pay, Google Pay |
If your car won't start in London, the question is rarely whether the battery is the problem - it's whether you have time to wait for a recovery membership service that may take three or four hours to dispatch. Our mobile jump-start service is built specifically for the London driver who needs to be moving again in under an hour. The standard service is from £80; for prestige and high-performance vehicles (Bentley, Ferrari, Lamborghini, Porsche, Range Rover, Aston Martin, Rolls-Royce, Mercedes-AMG and similar) the premium-car tier is from £140 and covers the additional handling, manufacturer-designated jump-point work, and ECU-safe protocols those cars require.
We carry lithium-ion jump packs rated up to 3,000 amps, which means we can start everything from a Mini Cooper to a Mercedes V-Class. Older lead-acid jump methods can spike voltage in a way that fries modern engine control units; the pro-grade equipment we use protects your car's electronics while still delivering enough cranking amps to get a 3.0L diesel V6 turning over. The premium-car tier uses the same equipment with stricter connection protocols (manufacturer jump points only, memory-saver supply on the OBD-II port, and a full pre- and post-start system check).
Every job includes a free post-start voltage and alternator check. If your battery is genuinely dying - and not just flat from a left-on dome light - we'll tell you up-front so you can decide whether to book a replacement that day or push it to next week. We don't upsell. About 60% of our jump-start jobs need no further work after the boost.
The Jump-Start promise
Quoted before we move. Fixed when we arrive. Done before you've had a coffee.
"When you call us about jump-start, the price you hear on the phone is the price you'll pay. No 'depending on traffic'. No clipboard charge on arrival. No surprise fee for the bit we forgot to mention. That's the standard we hold ourselves to on every single call-out."
- Fixed price quoted before dispatch, written into the job ticket.
- One driver, one vehicle, one price - never a relay job.
- Insurance certificate available to view before pickup.
- Card, contactless, Apple Pay, Google Pay or invoice on the spot.
The Dispatch Team
Car Recovery in London
Step by step
How jump-start works.
Call dispatch
Quick call to confirm your location, vehicle make and the symptoms. We'll quote you the fixed price up front before any driver leaves.
Technician arrives
Our nearest qualified technician arrives within 30-45 minutes with a fully-charged lithium jump pack and OBD diagnostic tools.
Started & checked
We boost the battery, run an alternator and voltage check, and let you know whether the battery itself needs replacing. Pay on the spot - done.
Who calls us
Three customer types we help every week.
No. 02
The Multi-Storey Survivor
Came back from a meeting at Canary Wharf or a show at the O2 to find your battery flat in the NCP. Tow trucks can't enter - but we can with portable equipment.
No. 03
The Cold-Snap Casualty
December and January cause more battery deaths in London than any other month. If yours is over 4 years old and the temperature drops, you're prime jump-start material.
The cheapest quote on a London recovery is rarely the cheapest job. By the time you've added the surcharge, the ULEZ pass-through and the extra hour in traffic, a fixed price from a local team almost always wins.
- Lead controller, Central London dispatch Reserved for the discerning London driver
The right jump-start - for the right kind of customer.
You haven't read this far because you're comparing prices. You've read this far because you've already decided that on a vehicle like yours, this is the only sensible call - and the only operator you would trust to make it.
Our customers are the people who do not negotiate the recovery of a £200,000 car the way they do not negotiate the surgeon, the wine, the tailor or the school. They recognise quality on first contact, and they pay for it without performance. The question for them is never "what is your cheapest rate". It is "can you be here, properly equipped, properly insured, in the time I have available" - and they know exactly why they are asking.
Booking us puts you in a clientele of London's prestige owners, City principals, Mayfair dealers, motorsport teams, family offices and private clients whose names we will never repeat. They do not advertise that they use us. They use us because the standard they set for themselves is invisible to anyone who has not already met it.
- A fixed price, agreed before any driver moves. We do not haggle - and you do not ask.
- Direct employees, answering to a London control room. Not a call queue in another country.
- Insurance certificates emailed in advance, the way you would expect them to be.
- Discretion by default. Unmarked transporters where the address requires it.
- Manufacturer-grade tooling, dealer-equivalent diagnostics, OEM-spec parts. No compromise behind the scenes.
- Same-day paperwork your insurer's claims handler will recognise as professional grade.
Book the jump-start that matches the standard you already set for everything else you choose.
Coverage
Across all 32 boroughs.
We work every London postcode from EC1 to SE28. Whether you're in the City, Canary Wharf, Camden, or further out in Greenwich or Walthamstow, the call goes to our Central London control room and the closest available driver heads to you straight away.
- Central London priority dispatch
- ULEZ & Congestion Charge zone covered
- A12, A13, A406, M25 J25-J30
- Multi-storey car park access
Postcode coverage
EC1EC2EC3EC4WC1WC2E1E2E3E5E8E9E14E16E20N1N5N7N16N19N22NW1NW3NW5NW6NW8SE1SE5SE8SE10SE11SE14SE15SE16SE17SE18SW1SW3SW5SW6SW7SW8SW10SW11W1W2W6W8W11W14
From the technicians
Expert tips on jump-start.
Things our lead technicians have learned across more than 10,000 London call-outs.
Drive for at least 30 minutes after a jump-start
A boost only gets the engine running - it does not recharge the battery. Drive at sustained speeds (not stop-start) for at least 30 minutes to let the alternator put real charge back in.
Don't ignore a slow crank
If your car turns over slowly the day before it dies completely, that's the warning. A battery test at this point can save you a full call-out.
Replace batteries every 4-5 years in London
London's stop-start traffic and short-trip driving wears batteries faster than motorway use. Most factory batteries fail at 4-5 years; a replacement is far cheaper than repeated recoveries.
AGM and EFB batteries cannot be charged with old chargers
If you have a stop-start car, your battery is almost certainly an AGM or EFB. They need a smart charger or coding when replaced - booking a mobile fitting is safer than a DIY swap.
12 recent reviews · 4.9/5 average
What customers say about our jump-start.
487+ verified Google reviews. A recent sample below, every one from a real London call-out.
Broken down on A13
Sept 2025
Broke down on the A13 heading into the city around 6am. Called these guys, driver Stuart was on scene in 28 minutes flat and had me towed to my mechanic in Bow. Fair price, no nonsense - exactly what I needed at that hour.
Flat battery in Canary Wharf NCP
Oct 2025
My car wouldn't start in the multi-storey car park at Canary Wharf and security wouldn't let any tow truck in. The recovery technician brought a portable jump pack down in person, got me started in five minutes and only charged £80. Lifesaver.
Sprinter van recovery, North Circular
Aug 2025
Sprinter went pop on the A406 with a full load of tools on board. Other companies wouldn't touch a loaded van or wanted £400+. These lot quoted me £280 over the phone, picked me up within 40 minutes and dropped both me and my tools home. Top tier.
Battery replacement, Islington
Nov 2025
AGM battery on my BMW 3 Series died overnight. Booked a mobile fitting on the same morning, technician Greg arrived with the correct battery already in the van. Coded it to the car, did an alternator check too. £255 all in.
Ferrari transport, Chelsea to Surrey
Jul 2025
Needed my 458 moved from Chelsea to a workshop in Surrey on an enclosed flatbed. White-glove service throughout - winched on without a scratch, fully insured paperwork emailed before they left. Pricey but absolutely worth it.
Jump-start, Hackney NCP
Oct 2025
Came back from a long weekend to find my Mini absolutely dead in Hackney NCP. AA wanted to me wait three hours. These guys had me running again in 35 minutes for a fixed £80. No subscription, no hassle.
BCA auction collection
Jun 2025
Bought a project car at BCA Blackbushe - wouldn't start when it came time to drive home. Rang Car Recovery in London, they collected it the same afternoon on a flatbed and dropped it at my unit in East London. Sorted.
Breakdown, Blackwall Tunnel approach
Sept 2025
Engine cut out at the worst possible moment - Blackwall Tunnel approach, southbound, in rush hour. They got someone to me in 22 minutes which honestly I didn't think was possible. Towed me to a safe location and then home. Fixed price even with the traffic.
Luton van breakdown, Stratford
Aug 2025
Self-employed builder, Luton van died in Stratford on a Saturday morning with a job booked for Monday. They turned up within an hour, recovered the van AND issued me a VAT invoice for the books. Proper professional outfit.
Porsche transport, Mayfair to workshop
Nov 2025
Needed my Porsche Cayman moved from Mayfair to a specialist workshop in Park Royal. Came in an enclosed trailer, used soft straps, sent through the insurance certificate before pickup. The whole experience felt premium from start to finish.
Jump-start, Westminster
Oct 2025
Flat battery outside a meeting in Westminster. Called at 10:15, technician was there by 10:45. Got me on my way for £85 with no membership faff. Will be using these instead of my AA cover from now on.
Battery replacement, Camden
Sept 2025
Had a Bosch S5 AGM fitted to my Audi A4 at home in Camden. Came on a Sunday, no extra charge. Battery has been faultless - and they coded it via the OBD port which my regular garage didn't even know how to do.
FAQ
Jump-Start questions, answered.
How much does a jump-start cost in London?
There are two tiers. The standard mobile jump-start service is from £80 per call-out. The premium-car tier - for Bentley, Ferrari, Lamborghini, Porsche, Range Rover, Aston Martin, Rolls-Royce, Mercedes-AMG, Tesla and similar prestige vehicles - is from £140 per call-out and covers the additional handling, ECU-safe protocols, and manufacturer-designated jump-point procedures those vehicles require. Both tiers cap at £250 for unusually difficult vehicles or restricted-access locations. The fixed price is quoted on the phone before any driver leaves the depot.
Will a jump-start damage my car's electronics?
Not when done correctly. We use lithium jump packs with reverse-polarity and over-voltage protection - far safer than the old-school cable-to-cable method, which can spike voltage and damage modern engine control units.
Can you jump-start an AGM or EFB battery?
Yes. Modern jump-start equipment is designed for AGM, EFB and start-stop batteries. There's no special charge profile needed for a boost - but if the battery itself has failed, an AGM or EFB will need a like-for-like replacement, not a standard battery.
How long will a jump-start last?
A jump-start gets the engine running, but the battery itself is still flat. You'll need to drive for at least 30 minutes to recharge it. If the car won't restart after switching off, the battery has likely failed and needs replacing.
Can you reach me in a multi-storey car park?
Yes. Our technicians carry portable lithium jump packs designed exactly for this scenario. We can walk into any NCP, Q-Park or APCOA car park in London and reach your car on foot, no recovery vehicle entry required.
Do you charge extra at night or weekends?
No. Our pricing is the same 24 hours a day, 7 days a week. The £80 standard starting fee (and the £140 premium-car starting fee for prestige vehicles) applies whether you call at 3pm on a Tuesday or 3am on a Sunday.
How quickly can you actually arrive?
Our average response time across Central London is 35 minutes, with most call-outs reaching the customer within 30-45 minutes. Edge zones (Greenwich, Walthamstow, Brent) may take slightly longer at peak traffic.
What if the jump-start doesn't work?
If a boost cannot start your vehicle, the issue is either a fully failed battery, a starter motor problem, or a fuel/ignition issue. We'll diagnose on the spot and either book a battery replacement or arrange recovery - credit applied from the call-out fee.
Other services
Other recovery services you might need.
From £120
Breakdown Recovery
Breakdown RecoveryBreakdown Recovery from £120. Up to 8 miles included. No hidden fees
£120+off-peak rate
- Up to 8 miles included
- No hidden fees
- Fully insured drivers
From £250
Accident Recovery
Accident RecoveryAccident Recovery from £250. Crashed & non-runners loaded by winch. Insurance invoices issued same day
£250+per recovery
- Crashed & non-runners loaded by winch
- Insurance invoices issued same day
- Photos taken on scene for your claim
From £180
Van Recovery
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£180+per recovery
- Sprinter/Transit/Luton covered
- Loaded or unloaded
- Business invoices available
Why us
Why London drivers choose Car Recovery in London.
National firms run the same rate card from John o' Groats to Land's End. That works for the average call-out, but London isn't an average city. Bus gates, low-emission zones, height restrictions, road closures for events every other weekend, traffic that shifts by the half-hour - all of it adds up. A generic operator can't quote honestly without padding the price. We built this whole operation around London, on purpose, and you can see it in the small things that matter when you're stranded.
- Fixed pricing. Quoted before dispatch and written into the job ticket. No "depending on traffic", no clipboard surcharge.
- 35-minute average response. Real number, measured every month from call to wheels-on-truck.
- £5m public liability cover. Goods-in-transit included. Certificates available to view before pickup.
- Direct employees. Not subcontractors paid per job, so there's no rush-and-go incentive to cut corners.
- 32 boroughs, every day. 28 live postcodes with bus-gate and ULEZ data baked into the routing.
- One number, 24/7. Calls land in our Central London control room. No offshore call centre, no menu tree.
Pricing in context
What you actually pay for jump-start.
Jump-Start - from
£80
per call-out
That covers the most common version of this job inside our standard service area. Specialist requirements (out-of-hours dispatch, longer distance, prestige or extra-heavy vehicle, awkward access) can add a fixed top-up - and we'll always quote it before a driver leaves the depot.
Compare it to AA or RAC's rolling-membership model. You pay £180-£260 a year for cover that may or may not include the situation you're actually in. For most drivers without a fleet, paying as you go from £80 only when you need it works out cheaper over time. The maths is simple: if you break down once every two years, you've spent £400+ on membership fees for a job that would have cost you a single £80 call-out.
See full transparent pricing on the pricing page, where every service line is laid out with included distances, off-peak vs out-of-hours rates, and example totals for common scenarios. Or if you want to see how our rates compare to membership cover, our blog post "How much does car recovery cost in London (2025)" works through real examples.
Available right now
Need jump-start now?
Tap below to reach our 24/7 dispatch line. Average response in Central London is 35 minutes. Fixed price from £80.