Manual Transmissions Fade in Ireland

0:00I'm Cory with the story, and you've been listening to Europe News today, AI-powered European coverage. In Ireland, the manual transmission is fading fast. Back in 2016, new car sales had about 5 manuals for every automatic registered, over 121,000 manuals versus just, under 25,000 automatics. Fast forward to 2026 so far, and it's flipped, 51,000 automatics outsell 13,000 manuals, nearly 4 to 1. Given the used car market, which lags behind, has turned the corner. On done deal cars, manuals used to dominate by 2 to 1, like 56,000 to 22,000 in late 2021. But this first quarter of 2026 marks history, over 51,000 automatics listed now beat 42,000 manuals, and manuals, have dropped by a quarter in 4 years as they're scrapped or exported. Drivers and instructors are feeling the shift. Manual efficiency closed the gap with modern multi-speed automatics, plus they pair better

1:01with safety tech, like adaptive cruise and emergency braking. Electric vehicles sealed the deal. No real gearbox needed, just a single speed setup, and as hybrids and EVs rise while these will falls, manuals go down. With them, learners are switching too. Driving tests and automatics now restrict licenses to them only, but with family cars being hybrids or EVs, practice cars match. Instructors report a wave, four years ago, automatics were rare for lessons, now manuals get maybe 1 or 2% interest as the man flips to. Autos. Manufacturers are pulling the plug. Mercedes quit manuals, end of 2023. Others follow quietly. Manuals linger in cheap use rides or sports cars, but for everyday drivers, automatics means smoother, safer rides ahead, wrapping up an era where shifting gears was king.