One car part faces death knell as switch now ‘increasingly rare’

One important part fitted on petrol and diesel vehicles could soon disappear from UK roads with the vital switch becoming “increasingly rare” in new models. Demand for manual gearboxes has hit a record low, with new data revealing that just one in 12 buyers has enquired about a car with a traditional gearbox.

According to data from Carwow, just 7.9% of new-car enquiries are for manual vehicles, down from 21% just two years ago. The number of cars on sale with a manual gearbox has also plummeted, with data from Auto Express revealing that just 72 of the 356 unique car models available come with a manual transmission.

Tom Jervis, consumer reporter at Auto Express said: “The decline of the manual gearbox is being driven by a combination of changing buyer habits and the industry’s rapid shift towards electrification.

“With fewer than one in 12 new-car enquiries now for a manual, and only one in five models still offering one, it’s clear that demand is shrinking fast.

“Drivers increasingly favour the convenience of an automatic, especially in everyday traffic, while the growing popularity of hybrids and electric cars – which are almost exclusively automatic – means many buyers no longer have the option of choosing a manual in the first place.”

The manual gearbox is one of the most important switches on a car, giving drivers direct control over engine speed and torque. Manual gearboxes allow road users to have complete control over their gear selection, which provides some benefits such as better efficiency.

Tom added: “Manual cars aren’t disappearing overnight. Although used cars account for around a third of the vehicles listed on Carwow, almost three-quarters of those are less than five years old.

“Given that manual gearboxes were the default choice for most new cars until relatively recently – and with the average car on UK roads now approaching 10 years old – there will continue to be plenty of second-hand manual cars available for years to come.

“That means buyers who still enjoy changing gears themselves won’t suddenly run out of choice. But the pipeline of new manual cars is shrinking rapidly, so while they’ll remain a familiar sight on the used market for the foreseeable future, they’re set to become an increasingly rare option in new car showrooms up to the end of the decade.”