"Manual driving lessons" are still the most popular lessons that most pupils require. There are a number of reasons for this. The main one is that currently in the UK, if you pass your driving test in a manual car, that entitles you to drive "automatic cars" as well. However that doesn't apply if you pass your test in an automatic car, you are only entitled to drive automatics. If you wish to drive manual cars then you would need to take another driving test.

Why choose Peter Skelton Driving School

• • Male and female instructors
  • Manual and automatic
  • Catering to nervous and anxious pupils
  • All lessons are taken at your own pace
  • High pass rates
  • Intensive and semi-intensive courses available
  • Free theory training
  • The highest standards of tuition
  • Motorway lessons
  • Refresher lessons

As time goes on the demand for automatic lessons has increased. When I first started my driving school 17 years ago, it was very rare for anyone to ask for auto lessons, however nowadays they make up around 40% of our enquiries. This trend is definitely set to continue. One of the main reasons is the growth and popularity of electric cars.

All electric cars are automatics. The range has improved considerably going from around 80 miles to now seeing a range of over 300 miles. That now makes the electric cars a much more viable option for most drivers. The 80 mile range was fine for short journeys but it did make long journeys more problematic with having to recharge frequently. 300 mile ranges are more comparable to traditional "internal combustion engines" (ICE). Therefore most long journeys can be completed with no need to recharge until you reach your final destination.

Another thing that makes electric cars more viable are the increase in the number of charging points and the speed at which cars can now charge. The infrastructure in the UK is slowly catching up with some other European countries who have already embraced the change in the way we drive much sooner. Countries such as The Netherlands, Sweden and Norway are leading the way.

Both automatic, hybrid and fully electric sales are continuing to rise all the time. However, that doesn't mean the end of manual cars and manual lessons. Even as manufacturers stop producing ICE cars, there will still be a strong second hand market for manual cars for many years to come.