In 2021, 13.8% of new drivers took their driving tests in an automatic vehicle, up from just 3.8% in 2008, according to data from the Driver and Vehicle Standards Agency (DVSA). Some experts including Edmund King, president of the AA, attribute this to younger drivers preparing for a future in which electric cars are the dominant type and where changing gears will be obsolete, following the government’s ban on the sale of new petrol and diesel cars in 2030. In the very near future, you will only need to drive an automatic, because all EVs are automatic. Despite learning to drive an automatic vehicle being seen as simpler, that isn’t reflected in driving test pass rates. In 2019, the pass rate for those taking their practical tests in automatic vehicles was 39.5% versus a figure of 45.9% for those driving a manual.

Source: The Times January 21, 2022 18:06 UTC