The Decline of Manual Gearboxes
The skill of changing gear is rapidly becoming obsolete as electric cars gain popularity. Vehicle manufacturers are already dramatically reducing the number of manual gearboxes available in new models. According to a market review, only 96 models in current showrooms are available with manual transmissions, while 404 new cars are sold exclusively with automatic gearboxes.
This trend is expected to continue as the sale of new petrol and diesel models is banned from 2030, and car manufacturers will only be able to sell hybrid and electric vehicles. All current hybrid and electric vehicles come with automatic transmissions, making the art of changing gear extinct in new cars.
Young drivers are also adapting to this change, with an increasing number opting for automatic-only driving tests. In the financial year 2023/24, 23.4% of practical driving tests were conducted in automatic cars, up from 6.9% a decade ago.
However, pass rates for automatic-only tests are statistically lower, with a rate of 42.8% in the last fiscal year, compared to 47.9% for all driving tests.
Car manufacturers are also abandoning manual gearboxes, with seven brands already stopping sales of new models with manual transmissions. Land Rover and Mini are among these brands, with Mercedes-Benz and Volvo also exclusively selling automatic cars in the UK.
Some manufacturers are introducing ‘simulated’ manual gearboxes to make electric vehicles more engaging. Hyundai’s Ioniq 5 N features a system that replicates the sensation and sound of a combustion engine, while Toyota is developing a similar system.
The decline of manual gearboxes is a seismic shift in gearbox preference, driven by the rise of electric vehicles. While manual transmissions have been more involving, automatics are becoming more appealing due to their convenience and improved performance.
By 2030, changing gear in a new car will be almost obsolete, and by 2035, even supercars and niche models will likely be forced to go electric, rendering the gear shift extinct.
