Death of the manual gearbox? How nearly a third of new drivers get automatic-only licences

Nearly a third of new drivers are now getting an automatic-only driver’s license, leading to fears that the art of clutch operation is dying out, new research finds.

The number of drivers learning to drive a manual car has fallen sharply in recent years, partly due to the rising popularity of electric vehicles.

In the 2000s, 94 percent of learner drivers learned from a manual. In the 1990s it was 96 percent and in the 1980s it was even higher, namely 98 percent.

But new figures from car marketplace Cinch show that only 69 percent of those who learned to drive in the past three years did so in a manual car, while 31 percent opted for an automatic-only driver’s license instead.

It comes after the government decided to ban the sale of all new conventional petrol and diesel cars and vans in the UK by 2030.

The hunt for automatic vehicles is on the rise as the government has doubled down on its commitment to phase out petrol and diesel vehicles in favor of electric cars and vans.

The UK is aiming for all new cars and vans to be completely zero-emissions from 2035, while new cars and vans can be sold between 2030 and 2035 if they are able to travel a significant distance zero-emissions.

New research has shown that manual cars could soon be a thing of the past, as a quarter – 23 percent – of learning drivers chose to learn in a petrol or diesel automatic and 8 percent chose to learn to drive in an automatic electric car.

Survey

Do you want to trade in the manual car for an automatic?

• Yes 79 votes
• No 95 votes
• Maybe 11 votes

Thirty-five percent of motorists surveyed said that since all cars will be electric in the future, there is simply no need to learn how to drive manually.

In addition, four in ten (40 percent) insist they ‘never intend to own a manual’ and 29 percent claim they simply don’t know how to use a link.

Data shows that the increasing popularity of automatic driving has a direct impact on the type of first car buyers choose, with only 61 percent now opting for a manual car.

No less than 38 percent of people now get an automatic transmission for their first car, of which six percent opt ​​for an electric car.

This is a sharp shift from previous generations – in the 2000s only eight percent of people got an automatic as their first car.

Sam Sheehan, car editor at Cinch, said: ‘Just a few years ago, learning how to operate a clutch was a tricky – but essential – part of learning to drive, with an automatic driver’s license often not considered a ‘full’ driver’s license.

‘But as automatic cars have become more affordable, they are becoming increasingly popular on British roads. As such, an automatic is a more realistic option for new car buyers.

“Furthermore, due to the upcoming ban on new petrol and diesel engines from 2030, there will be fewer cars with clutch on our roads, because fully electric vehicles do not have them.

Learning to operate a clutch used to be an ‘essential’ part of learning to drive. Now students are choosing to drive automatic only as electric cars become more popular (pictured)

“It’s realistic to say that the art of clutch operation could almost die out in a few decades.”

Cinch research also shows that the average cost of a scoop is rising and currently stands at £6,600.

Now only 26 percent of people buy what they describe as a “runaround,” a car that’s affordable to buy and has low fuel, insurance and road tax costs, as their first vehicle.

This compares to more than half (57 percent) of first-time car buyers in the 2000s.