“All EVs ,PHEVs and Hybrid cars are automatic, so in the near future, most people will drive an automatic,”
Evidence of the change in learning preferences working as a driving instructor, switch to a car with an automatic gearbox because that’s where there was greater demand.
Data shows that in 2023, 37% of people training to be a driving instructor with the chose an automatic vehicle rather than a manual.
Many existing instructors are also switching to autos.
The rise in the popularity of EVs and plug-in hybrids (PHE Vs) is also fuelling the change with Free road tax for most of hybrid and all electrics.
The renowned car seller website Autotraders.com mostly advertise hybrid or electric car for sale.
New vans and cars all electric for sale and people start charging with portable 3 plug charger at work nowadays sometimes FREE .
(Amazon link below)
The AA began to offer lessons in EVs in March 2022, with learners taking around 49,000 hours of driving lessons in them during the first year. That year, 10% of total passes were from pupils who had spent time learning in an EV.
learning in an EV helps new drivers become familiar with some of the unique aspects of EV driving, such as charging and regenerative braking, and this can help them feel confident choosing one when they have passed their test.
Is it easier to take your test in an automatic car?
With no clutch control to learn and gears to manage, you might think it’s easier to pass your test in a car with an automatic gearbox. However, statistics suggest this isn’t the case.
Pass rates for tests taken in automatic cars have lagged behind those for manual vehicles for the past decade, although the gap between the two has closed in recent years.
In 2013 to 2014, only 39% of those who took the test in an automatic passed the first time, compared with 48% for manual cars.
In 2023, though, 43% of the tests taken in automatics resulted in a pass, compared with 50% for manuals.
Lower pass rate for autos down to the fact that learners in manual cars have often had more time behind the wheel to practise driving skills.
Good car control among drivers of automatics could be mistaken for test readiness, when, in fact, the learners still need more time to develop correct decision-making on the road.
In general, the mistakes drivers make when failing their tests in an automatic will largely be the same as those who fail in a manual car.
“Observation, particularly at junctions, is often where pupils fall short, and the correct use of mirrors and proper steering control are among the top reasons why pupils do not pass their practical test.”
