You know the drill. Your parcel delivery driver gets stuck outside a countryside farm. Your bus has to let all its passengers off. Your ambulance won’t start. The consequences are immediate and severe, and it all comes down to a dead battery.
But here’s the kicker: most battery failures are preventable. In fact, the right battery testing, charging, and starting equipment doesn’t just solve problems, but stops them before they start.
This blog breaks down the essentials of battery maintenance gear and how to choose the right tools for your fleet.
Jump starters for in-shop and field work
Jump starters are a lifeline when a vehicle won’t start. But some do more than others. Some are built to fire up one engine and move on with life. That’s fine if you’re dealing with only the occasional dead battery. But entry-level packs often miss out on key safety tech and flexibility.
Rotronics’ MR26 12-volt power pack is ideal for lighter vehicles and quick jobs. It’s compact and fully portable, so you can carry it in a van, keep it in a workshop, or stash it on a recovery truck. Great for mobile mechanics or smaller fleets with cars or light vans like the Ford Transit Custom, VW Transporter, or Vauxhall Vivaro.
If you’re dealing with larger engines or regular callouts, you’ll want something with more muscle. The TB 1224 HDD delivers serious cranking power at both 12-volt and 24-volt, making it a good choice for fleets with a mix of vans, trucks and heavier commercial vehicles. It’s portable too – small enough to move around the workshop or mount in a service van. Ideal for operators covering remote sites or rural fleet routes where breakdowns can’t wait.
Then there’s the heavy artillery. The NATO Booster Pack comes with enough power to start an engine even if it doesn’t have a battery attached. It’s the be-all and end-all when it comes to mobile jump starting. From plant vehicles to construction machines and trains, this is the one for you.
Finally, there’s the NATO 200. This non-portable unit is designed to stay in the workshop for the really serious work. It’s ideal for fleet depots and workshops that see constant traffic. These units are often paired with trolleys for some mobility, but they’re best kept in a fixed spot with easy access to your most demanding vehicles, like bin lorries, fire appliances, coaches and HGVs. They’re also handy for non-start support like fuel bleeding and tail-lift cycling.
The best way to choose the right power pack is to match it to your fleet and workflow. That means taking engine sizes, battery types, where the job happens, staff experience, etc, all into account. Don’t skip the safety gear either. Features like reverse polarity alarms and overload protection help prevent damage to both the vehicle and your technician.
Battery chargers: trickle vs. smart microprocessor units
Once the engine’s running and the vehicle’s back on the road, the next job is making sure the battery doesn’t let you down again. Maintenance charging (trickle charging) comes in here. Plug the battery charger in, walk away and come back to a topped-up battery. It’s great for consumers and vehicle storage. But what if your trickle charger could do more than just top up the charge? What if they could adjust to what the battery actually needs? What about spotting faults, or letting you know if the battery’s in poor condition?
That’s where smart chargers earn their keep. Take the CTEK Pro 120, for example. It’s a proper workshop charger that adjusts the charge based on the battery’s condition. It works with both 12-volt systems. It delivers steady voltage during diagnostics or software updates and includes features like temperature compensation and reconditioning modes.
For lighter work, the It also handles various battery types (AGM, EFB, flooded, etc.), so you’re not switching chargers whenever a new job rolls in.
Battery support units like the CTEK PRO 60 (12-volt) or CTEK MXTS 40 (12-volt or 24-volt) also step up when you’re doing ECU programming or software updates. They keep the system stable so you don’t brick a module halfway through a firmware install.
When picking a charger, think about the batteries you’re working with. Lead-acid, AGM, EFB and lithium don’t all behave the same. Some chargers, like the CTEK MXT 4.0, are built specifically for 24-volt applications and will handle the higher demands of HGVs and buses. Others, like the (12-volt), are fantastic if you’re on the go or caught out in the middle of nowhere. It’s also worth mentioning that not all chargers support lithium charging. For a list of those that do, click here.
A wide range of vehicle battery testing equipment
Battery testing equipment is essential for keeping your fleet running reliably. While most workshops use a voltmeter or multimeter to check a battery’s charge, these tools only give a rough idea of how much power is left. They don’t tell you anything about the battery’s overall health or how likely it is to fail soon.
That’s where more advanced tools from Rotronics come in. Products like the CPX Series and MVT Series are designed to give a much clearer picture of a battery’s condition. Instead of just measuring voltage, they test how well the battery retains and delivers power. This helps you spot weak batteries before they cause problems.
These testers work with a wide range of 12-volt batteries (including AGM, EFB, GEL and standard flooded types). And they’re built with workshops in mind. For example, the MVT Series uses AI-powered technology to deliver fast, accurate results without requiring manual input. It’s compact, easy to use and designed for technicians at any skill level. These testers provide detailed data like voltage, internal resistance and estimated battery life, as well as easy to follow decisions such as ‘Good Battery’, ‘Recharge’, ‘Bad Battery’ and ‘Bad Cell’. Some models even connect via Bluetooth and, with optional extras, can print or share results for record-keeping.
The DCA Series might be a good fit if you want to save time in the workshop. It combines testing and charging in one unit, so you can combine these two operations into one. For more detailed checks, the CPX Series offers a modular design with advanced features. That makes it ideal for workshops that need flexibility and in-depth diagnostics. Both DCA and CPX have Midtronics reserve capacity testing, while DCA also has Midtronics dynamic charge acceptance testing
Adding more professional testing equipment to your regular maintenance routine means fewer surprises and more control. Tools like the EXP Series use advanced testing technologies and powerful algorithms to provide fleet workshops with accurate 24V testing capabilities. When used as part of a Rotronics battery management programme, the EXP-1000 FHD is proven to increase battery longevity and dramatically reduce workshop spending. Meanwhile, the xLVS-9000 is designed for electric vehicle support systems. This helps you keep up with changing technology and ensure you’re ready for whatever problems develop in your fleet.
Emerging vehicle battery technologies
The car industry is changing quickly, mainly thanks to the recent surge in EV popularity, and battery care is changing with it. As electric vehicles get more advanced, we need better tools to check and look after their batteries.
One exciting new idea is wireless charging. This means cars can charge their batteries without needing to plug in. It uses the simple principle of electromagnetic induction. In these systems, coils embedded in the road surface create an electromagnetic field that charges a vehicle’s battery as it drives over them.
This technology is currently being tested in places like Detroit and Los Angeles. In the future, it could let electric cars charge while moving, so there’s no need to stop and plug in. For fleet managers, this could mean your vehicles are always ready to go, with far less time off the road. But it also means batteries will need to be checked more often and more carefully.
That’s where Rotronics comes in. As batteries get more advanced, it’s ever more important to know how they’re doing in real time. Our ROBIS platform is a special cloud-based system that helps with this. It works with Rotronics testers like the CPX and EXP, and sends test results straight to an online dashboard.
Fleet managers can log in to see battery reports, track changes over time, compare test results from different sites, and get alerts if a battery needs attention. This helps you make better decisions, like planning battery changes before problems happen, and keeping your vehicles running smoothly.
Choosing the right equipment for your fleet
Selecting the appropriate equipment depends on several factors, including the following:
- Battery types – ensure compatibility with lead-acid, lithium or other battery types in your fleet.
- Vehicle requirements – consider the voltage and capacity needs of your vehicles.
- User capabilities – choose equipment that matches the technical expertise of your team (or invest in additional training).
- Maintenance programmes – integrate equipment into a comprehensive maintenance plan for proactive battery monitoring and management.
Investing in the right equipment resolves immediate issues and contributes to the long-term health of your fleet’s batteries. No matter what your vehicles throw at you, you’ll have the tools you need to get them back on the road in a jiffy.
Here at Rotronics, we specialise in battery maintenance solutions. If your fleet could use a battery starter, charger or tester upgrade, we’re here to help! We’ll help you build a custom solution that meets all budgets, workflows and operational needs. Reach out today to get started.
