Number of computerized vehicles on UK roads surges 118% in a decade – are we changing into lazy drivers?
Three in ten cars on British roads now have an automatic transmission as drivers ditch the option to change gear.
Autos now make up 29.3 per cent of the nation’s car parc, with numbers increasing 118 per cent between 2014 and 2024, according to analysis by Solera cap hpi.
A decade ago, automatics accounted for around only one in six (16.3 per cent) UK-registered passenger cars with manuals the far dominant choice.
However, today there’s over 15.5million autos – more than double the 7.1million a decade ago.
An increasing share of learners are no longer interested in driving a stick shift; experts have recently predicted more than a quarter of driving tests next year will be for automatic-only licences as a younger generation of motorists shift away from manuals for convenience.
So, is the art of changing gear dwindling because Britons are becoming lazier behind the wheel? Or is it simply a case of vehicle supply rather than driver demand?
Automatics now make up 29.3% of the nation’s car parc, with numbers increasing 118% between 2014 and 2024, according to new analysis
The analysis found automatic car numbers jumped 118 per cent in the 10-year spell and over the same period manuals increased 2.4 per cent.
As such, there are now 37.5million manuals on the road, up from 26.6million in 2014.
While it shows the UK is still a nation of drivers who predominantly prefer being in control of their car’s gears, there is evidence of a rapid surge towards automatics as already seen in other countries.
In the US and Australia, for instance, some 97 per cent of vehicles are estimated to be autos, with stick shifts very much the unpopular choice.
Solera cap hpi says the car parc data shows the popularity of automatic transmissions has increased exponentially since 2014, whereas manual volumes have been falling for the past five years.
Annual car sales data reveals that the number of automatics has almost tripled, from 538,000 new registrations in 2014 to over 1.5million in 2024.
In contrast, the number of manual vehicles registered dropped from 708,000 a decade ago to 274,000 last year.
These figures are somewhat reflective of the new models in showrooms today, especially as car makers ramp up their electric vehicle offerings, which are sold only with automatic transmissions due to the single forward gear setup of battery cars.
The rise in numbers of auto cars on the road in the last 10 years is somewhat reflective of shrinking manual availability
A study by CarGurus last year found that mainstream brands are rapidly reducing the number of new models with manual gearboxes, slashing availability by more than half in the last six years alone.
Manufacturers that no longer offer any new showroom models with manual transmissions include Volvo, Mercedes-Benz and Lexus.
Out of 300 models available to UK buyers last year, only 89 were manuals – 18 per cent fewer than in 2023, the market review found.
At its current rate of decline, experts say that by 2029 the manual gearbox could be all but extinct, like CD players and wind-up windows.
All car makers are expected to ditch manual gearboxes before the end of the decade
More learners steer away from manual gearboxes
There’s also been a spike in demand for automatic-only driving licences in the last decade.
This is despite the fact they are far more restrictive.
While anyone who passes their test in a manual car can drive a car with either gearbox, automatic licence holders are barred from driving manuals.
But that hasn’t deterred drivers.
In 2023-2024, 23.4 per cent of all tests were automatics, with 455,276 auto-only exams sat out of 1,945,225 exams in total.
However, a decade earlier, just 6.5 per cent (105,948) of all tests (1,532,504) were for automatic-only licences.
And despite a general consensus that an automatic driving test should be easier to pass thanks to the eradication of needing to concentrate of gear changes, the failure rate is higher for this type of test.
In the last financial year, the average practical driving test pass rate – for both manuals and autos – was 47.9 per cent, while for automatic-only tests it was 42.8 per cent.
Driving schools and instructors are also reacting to the increase in demand for automatic tests.
According to AA Driving School, 21 per cent of its instructors today are teaching in vehicles with automatic gearboxes.
Despite a general consensus that an auto driving test should be easier to pass, the failure rate is higher for this type of test than the UK practical test average
| Year | Total all tests | Passes | Pass rate | Auto-only tests | Auto only passes | Auto-only pass rate | % Auto tests | Auto as % of all passes |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2012/13 | 1,436,481 | 677,255 | 47.1% | 87,844 | 34,749 | 39.6% | 6.1% | 5.1% |
| 2013/14 | 1,477,585 | 695,580 | 47.1% | 95,759 | 37,266 | 38.9% | 6.5% | 5.3% |
| 2014/15 | 1,532,504 | 718,712 | 46.9% | 105,948 | 41,391 | 39.1% | 6.9% | 5.7% |
| 2015/16 | 1,537,735 | 723,444 | 47.0% | 114,994 | 45,238 | 39.3% | 7.5% | 6.2% |
| 2016/17 | 1,730,936 | 815,168 | 47.1% | 141,264 | 56,172 | 39.8% | 8.2% | 6.8% |
| 2017/18 | 1,718,519 | 795,892 | 46.3% | 163,790 | 63,727 | 38.9% | 9.5% | 8.0% |
| 2018/19 | 1,664,219 | 761,972 | 45.8% | 185,043 | 71,870 | 38.8% | 11.1% | 9.4% |
| 2019/20 | 1,599,566 | 734,600 | 45.9% | 202,506 | 79,951 | 39.5% | 12.7% | 10.8% |
| 2020/21 | 437,352 | 217,807 | 49.8% | 60,209 | 24,996 | 41.5% | 13.8% | 11.4% |
| 2021/22 | 1,538,314 | 751,914 | 48.9% | 242,713 | 101,231 | 41.7% | 15.8% | 13.4% |
| 2022/23 | 1,688,955 | 816,775 | 48.4% | 324,064 | 138,354 | 42.7% | 19.2% | 16.9% |
| 2023/24 | 1,945,225 | 931,494 | 47.9% | 455,276 | 194,774 | 42.8% | 23.4% | 20.9% |
| Source: DVSA | ||||||||
Stacey Ward, senior data director at cap hpi, says the shift to automatics is a result of ‘changing driving habits, especially in congested urban areas,’ which have made automatics more appealing to drivers for their ease of use in stop-start traffic.
‘Advances in technology over the past decade have also greatly improved automatic transmissions’ efficiency and responsiveness,’ Stacey explains.
‘The rise in popularity of EVs, which are always automatic, has significantly contributed to the increasing shift towards automatics over manual.
‘Manufacturers have responded by reducing manual gearbox options, with some major brands eliminating them entirely from their lineups.
‘Additionally, more new drivers are opting for automatic-only driving licenses.
‘In 2012, there were just 550,000 drivers with automatic licences. In 2022, there were over 1.1 million, with this figure expected to continue to increase.’
DVSA data also shows more females than males are taking automatic tests.
However, the gender gap is getting closer since the pandemic.
Prior to 2019/20, typically around three-quarters of automatic tests were taken by female pupils.
This has reduced every year since but currently stands at more than 60 per cent.
