AA Business Services is investing more than £7.5m in a national mobile tyre-fitting network. The first 50 vans will hit UK roads on September 1, with the fleet increasing to 150 vehicles early next year.

Ultimately, the firm wants to create a 500-strong fleet, making it the market leader - rival Kwik-Fit Fleet has 179 mobile fitting units.

The vehicles will be equipped to AA standards, with the latest equipment capable of dealing with run-flat tyre technology currently used on cars such as Mini Cooper S, BMW 7-series and Mercedes E-class.

Adrian Harvey, head of business development for AA Business Services, says the fleet tyre market is vitally important to AA Business Services. “We want to help fleet customers understand that there is an alternative to waiting in a shoddy environment that keeps them away from their jobs while they get their tyres fitted,” he says.

The launch of the mobile fitting network has been driven by a period of rapid expansion that saw the motoring solutions company acquire 129 garages from Halfords for £5.75m last August.

Now the firm is looking to double the number of garages, which are being rebranded as AA Service Centres, over the next three to five years. Parent company Centrica has set aside £15m to raise the standards and train the 1200 staff.

The AA is undergoing an aggressive period of growth, which includes the recent acquisition of online tyre provider Tyreserve. The link-up means that AA Business Services has access to 26 of the top 50 contract hire and leasing companies.

Tyreserve links a network of 2980 fast-fit, franchised dealer and mobile tyre replacement units and uses the internet for online booking, pricing, order tracking and billing.