Improved technology, along with safer and faster car wash options, is creating exciting opportunities for a touchless car wash franchise. But to ensure you get the most from your investment, look at the differences between systems, compare leading brands, and weigh up startup costs, equipment prices and profitability. Partnering with the right car wash franchise can set you on the path to profitability and possibly save you from costly mistakes.
Automatic Car Wash Franchise Vs Touchless Car Wash Franchise
First, letโs clear up any confusion between automatic and touchless car washes. Although these terms are often used as one and the same, thatโs not quite the case.
A touchless automatic car wash doesnโt use brushes, bristles, or cloths to clean vehicles. Instead, it relies on high-pressure water jets and detergents to make short work of dirt. You can choose from a touchless automatic in-bay design or a touchless conveyor tunnel system. Both types of car washes remove dirt and other contaminants without cleaning equipment touching the customerโs vehicle.
In contrast, automatic car washes are any car wash system that cleans vehicles using machines, with minimal or no manual labor. These systems often use soft cloths or brushes that physically touch the carโs surface.
To sum up, all touchless car washes are automatic, but not all automatic washes are touchless.
Demand for a Touchless Car Wash Franchise
Many drivers take great joy from owning and driving a pristine-looking vehicle. Even more so if theyโve paid a lot for a premium model. Therefore, โcar prideโ can greatly influence their favorite type of car wash. For example, touchless or brushless vehicle wash systems can ease concerns for anyone whoโs worried about scratches to paintwork or accidental bumps and scrapes from car wash equipment.
Market research shows that the global touchless car wash machines market will surge to $2.8 billion by 2033, growing at a CAGR of 8.5% from 2026 to 2033. New and improved sensory technology and artificial intelligence have enhanced car cleaning in this sector. So, ensure your franchise partner is up to speed with the latest equipment.
Advantages of a Touchless Car Wash Franchise
To get a feel for whether this type of automotive business is right for you, it helps to look at the pros and cons of a touchless car wash franchise. Here are some main advantages:
Speed and Convenience
The touchless automatic conveyor system shares two main similarities with an express car wash. Both are quick and convenient for the customer. If youโre the business owner, a high-speed system is a big plus, too. When you wash a lot of cars within a given time, increased productivity means bigger profits.
Reduced Labor Costs
A touchless automatic car wash doesnโt require the services of a detailing team in the same way a hand car wash business does. Therefore, you can reduce ongoing labor costs. This will help make your car wash more profitable in the long-term. Depending on which equipment you choose, you may not need anyone on site to supervise the wash operations. If this is the case, you can greatly extend your car wash opening hours and maximize profits, see below.
24 Hours Automatic Car Washing
An unmanned in-bay touchless automatic car wash gives you the option to keep your business open 24 hours a day. The latest equipment features a touch screen operating system with flexible wash programming. This allows the customer to use the car wash without staff help. Also, a fully automated car wash business will use a cashless payment system. This convenience appeals to customers who like to pay via their smartphone.
Latest Technology Attracts Customers
You can impress customers with the latest tech and functions. For example, touchless robot car wash machines detect the three-dimensional measurements of a vehicle and clean it according to size. This helps to minimize product waste. You can also make your touchless automatic car wash a more visual experience by using colored foams.
Green technology is also good for business across the car wash industry. For example, a steam car wash can win new customers with the latest tech. Not only does it conserve water, but it also efficiently sanitizes vehicle interiors with sterilizing temperatures that are ideal for killing viruses with steam
Disadvantages
High Equipment Costs
Can you afford to buy a car wash franchise? Touchless car wash costs include buying or renting a site, ideally in a prime location where it will attract a high flow of customers. Prime location costs may be prohibitive. You also need to purchase high-quality touchless car wash equipment. Before you invest, research touchless car wash profitability to get a better idea of costs.
Be mindful too that equipment failure can happen. The time lag to fix a problem can be costly. Additionally, your equipment can quickly fall behind the competition because technology is always advancing. Ideally, invest in touchless equipment that comes with a free program upgrade included in your purchase.
Less Attention to Detail
Again, โcar prideโ can make customers twitchy about which car wash service they choose. Not everyone is going to like the use of chemicals and excessive water pressure that blasts the dirt off their car. Furthermore, a touchless automatic car wash might be too speedy for those people who prefer more attention to detail or a self serve car wash franchise. For example, how well does your brushless car wash clean the chassis, wheel hubs and those other hard-to-reach places compared to a hands-on service?
Higher use of Water and Chemicals
The touchless automatic system relies on high-pressure jets of water and cleaning solutions to remove dirt and road grime from vehicles. It will probably also use an integrated chemical mixing system to apply no-scrub car washing liquids, foam and coating wax. These are not always environmentally friendly options, which may put some car owners off.
Modern touchless car wash systems use the correct amount of solution for the size of the vehicle. This helps to reduce chemical waste. However, this is not the same as eco-friendly car washes that strive to lessen the impact on the environment. If this is part of your business plan, you should check out an eco car wash franchise.
Competition is Tough
There is a lot of competition within the automatic car wash sector. The low-cost of a car wash package might attract customers, but you need a high volume of customers for this to be a successful business model. Look at your pricing strategies and location. If you are going to keep your prices low, you need to attract higher numbers of customers to be profitable long-term.
Not a Full-Service Car Wash
Full-service car washes are not only popular with customers but also more profitable for business owners. However, a touchless automatic car wash is not a full service car wash. It does not offer interior detailing services. Therefore, you could be missing out on a lucrative sector of the market unless you decide to offer a combination of exterior and interior detailing on your site.
Touchless Car Wash Franchise Opportunities and Alternatives
Many of the leading franchise brands donโt focus exclusively on touchless car washing, but they do offer touchless or laser packages. For example, laser touch free car wash is a brushless concept.ย The โlaserโ refers to the precision of the sensors that clean the car exterior. So, itโs good to have a broader business model in mind or alternatives when investing. I.e., bear in mind that there are other car wash types that are safe and gentle on vehicles.
Autowash is a touchless car washing franchise. You need around $1.5 million to invest in this opportunity, and a net worth of $3 million is preferred. The timeline can be about 2 years to get your business up and running.
DetailXPerts is not a traditional touchless system in the automated sense, but it is a 100% brushless and eco-friendly franchise that cleans vehicles using steam and microfiber cloths. This safe and gentle approach means thereโs no risk of paint damage. Moreover, as it is a mobile car wash franchise, you donโt have the million-dollar investment and infrastructure costs. Franchise costs range from $103,500 to $240,100.
You might also want to consider a waterless car wash franchise. For example, No-H20 is another brushless concept, described as dry cleaning for cars. Like DetailXPerts, it is a hand car wash prioritizing safe and efficient cleaning. Franchise investment costs $120,000.
How Much Does a Touchless Car Wash Cost?
We know there is demand for this type of car wash because the touchless car wash equipment market is booming. But what kind of Return on Investment (ROI) can you expect? The answer depends on several factors. For example, startup costs, maintenance costs and revenue-generating options come into play. Profits will also vary according to location, customer demand and pricing.
Costs to Enter the Market
You need to think first about location, then the land, equipment, and construction costs. Do you plan to buy or lease land? Do your due diligence because costs vary considerably between different locations and states. Buying real estate can add value to your business, but leasing may be a more affordable option for small business owners who want to acquire a larger site when first entering the market. Also, think about future business growth. If you have the budget for a bigger site, it allows you to add more bays and services further down the line.
Touchless Car Wash System Cost
You can have significant upfront costs. How much varies a lot between providers, especially if you want the latest tech. For example:
Oasis Car Wash Systems has 5 touchless models, including the popular Typhoon and The Eclipse. The Eclipse model doesnโt have a conveyor, so you can run the car wash unattended 24/7. Less work for you, lower labor costs, and no need for costly repairs. Contact the company for an exact price. But to give you an idea, industry insiders estimate theย fully installed cost, including equipment, site work, and setup, for a single Eclipse unit at approximatelyย $225,000 to $250,000
PDQ Laser Wash is another popular choice in the touchless car wash sector. Again, you need to contact them directly for a quote. As a guide, expect to pay anywhere from $130,000 to $300,000 for the latest model.
However, donโt forget that you can buy used or refurbished units. For example, an automatic touchless car wash machine price is around $25,000-$60,000 for a dual-arm jet wash design.
Maintenance Costs
High-tech touchless wash equipment relies on intricate electronic components and hydraulically powered parts, such as motors, sensors, and a high-pressure pump system. Even high-quality systems can sometimes experience faults or failures. This means you may find yourself having to pay for costly repairs.
As with any automated car wash, proper equipment maintenance is necessary. Carrying out regular checks will save you money in the long run by identifying any potential problems before they arise.
Operating Costs
Itโs not just about the touchless car wash cost to build. There are operating costs. Your monthly expenses will include general utilities such as water and electricity. You will also need to maintain a stock of chemical cleaners. Pay attention to water usage, too. The pressurized jets used in a modern touchless car wash can use up to 15 gallons of water per vehicle, although some systems will have a degree of water recycling measures in place.
Additionally, you can keep recruitment costs down with a self-serve computer-controlled touchless car wash. Leave it to the customer to input wash instructions, preferences, and payment.
Average Income of a Touchless Car Wash
The latest touch-free wash equipment has a faster wash speed. And speed equals increased revenue. Moreover, increasing vehicle thruput means shorter wash lines โ your customers will like that and keep coming back.
A touchless wash and rinse can take 5 minutes or less. Adding wax and dry options can increase the time to 8 minutes per wash but you will charge more for the service. There is the potential to wash 8 cars per hour. Price per car wash can range from $10-$30 for a basic wash. Add-ons are going to generate extra revenue.
How Profitable Is a Touchless Car Wash?
As a guide, the average annual revenue for a busy single in-bay automatic car wash is $150,000. This number is based on washing 15,000 cars annually at a basic $10 per wash. It equates to washing around 60 cars per day, operating for 5 days per week.
Average annual take-home income is in the region of $45,000-$80,000 after expenses. For example, net profits can be 25%-35% for in-bay automatics. Sites doing $200,000+ could hit that $80,000 net or higher.
Adjust this figure accordingly to suitย pricing strategies for your car wash businessย and the turnover of vehicles washed per year. Many sites earn below these numbers if volume or pricing is low.
Note, the profitability of a touchless car wash is heavily dependent on your location, what you charge, add-ons etc. If you struggle to find an ideal site in a high-traffic area, there is another way to make money. See Your Guide to a Profitable Car Wash.
Alternatively, check out Businesses for Sale. For example, the asking price for a brushless car wash in Kings County, New York, was $1,500,000, with a sales revenue of $506,000. If you donโt have this kind of money to invest in a location and equipment, you can still own a lucrative car wash. See mobile car wash.
How to Maximize Your Profits
Think about add-on auto detailing services to generate extra revenue. It is entirely possible to double your profits by the time you reach the 5-year mark in business. For example, you could make $100,000-$120,000 per annum by offering more than a basic exterior car wash.
Give customers the option to purchase add-ons, such as a bug removal wash, color foam features, high-gloss applications, or clear coat sealant treatment. These extras can potentially raise revenue by around 20% per vehicle. Offer interior detailing services. This can be another way to boost income and profits.
You can also increase profits by washing more cars. Either add another touchless bay to your site or open another car wash. Also, you can stay open 24/7, which will make a big difference to your bottom line. Customer loyalty programs can bring in more money, too.
Is a Touchless Car Wash Safe?
You also need to consider the customerโs perception of automatic car washes. Are touchless car washes safe? Thatโs what people want to know. Car enthusiasts can be wary about the use of high-pressure water jets and strong chemical cleaning solutions on their vehicles. Lack of trust in your car wash will hit profits.
So, what is the safest type of car wash? Well, if you want to protect your customersโ paintwork and the environment, consider a steam cleaning car wash business. DetailXPerts uses biodegradable cleaning products and innovative steam green technology to achieve a superior clean. Steam effortlessly removes dirt without damaging a carโs exterior. And our eco-friendly car wash franchise also matches the mood of the socially conscious consumer. We only use 1 pint of water to clean an average-sized vehicle.
Conclusion
If youโre looking to invest in a touchless car wash franchise, you donโt have a huge choice. However, there is certainly a demand for this type of service. The touchless equipment market is thriving. So, you can start your own car wash using premium systems like PDQ Laser Wash, provided you have the capital. This creates opportunities if you want to franchise your own brand.
That said, if you prefer the backing and support of an established franchise, seek out brushless alternatives. Also, thinking about expanding your list of services by offering car interior detailing to maximize potential profits. DetailXPerts offers exciting franchise opportunities without the huge initial investment. Equally important, youโll own an eco-friendly mobile business, conveniently serving people and the planet.
