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EVs could mean the end of the manual driving licence
02 November 2021
The results of a recent survey by the road safety charity IAM RoadSmart suggest that electric vehicles (EVs) could mean the end of manual driving licences, with 61 per cent of 17-24 year olds planning to apply for automatic-only licences.
A majority of 81 per cent said that were likely to purchase an EV as their next vehicle and 70 per cent of young people believe that EVs are simpler to charge in comparison with petrol and diesel vehicles.
Director of Policy and Research at IAM RoadSmart Neil Greig said, “Our research highlights how young people are being proactive, not reactive to climate issues and the changes to the automotive industry set to come by 2030, which is great to see.
“What these figures demonstrate is that the traditional split between manual and automatic driving licences is becoming less and less relevant to modern motoring. It’s time that this artificial distinction was ditched as part of an overall review of learning to drive that prioritises experience in all traffic conditions over the type of gearbox you have.
“Until things change however, young people need to be aware that manual driving licences will always open up a wider range of job opportunities for them, particularly as the country recovers from the pandemic.”
In a separate article, RAC spokesman Rod Dennis suggested that “There's a chance drivers will end up getting rather misty-eyed about manuals.
“After all, switching up and down the gears has been an integral part of driving – and learning to drive – for many of us for so long, and is one of the main ways we feel in control of the car”.
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