Does the rise of the EV really mean the death of the manual gearbox? 

While the number of cars offered with a manual gearbox will dwindle over the next few years, fans of self-shifting needn’t get too despondent, because some car makers are coming up with modern takes on the manual ’box.

If you’re able to afford a new or nearly new car, in particular an electric car or plug-in hybrid, there is little point in taking the manual test. Learning to drive in an EV will give you valuable experience of the driving characteristics of these cars.