Motoring experts have issued a warning to anyone thinking of buying a manual car in the next couple of years.
In the not so distant past, the manual car was the vehicle of choice for motoring enthusiasts, who insisted that driving was just better if you had the ability to switch gears yourself rather than rely on the vehicle to do it for you.
In fact, automatic cars were even seen as the lesser option amongst drivers of previous generations, being seen as the option for less capable drivers.
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However, the motoring landscape has done a complete 180 in recent years, meaning that having to switch your car out of 1st, 2nd and 3rd gear will soon become a relic of the past.
Are manual cars going to be banned in the UK?
Well, it's a yes and no situation. You're not about to be arrested for driving a diesel but things are changing.
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There is no law which states that manual cars themselves will be prohibited on UK roads, however, the clock is ticking on petrol and diesel.
The UK government has recently confirmed that the sale of all new petrol and diesel cars will be banned from 2030, with Kier Starmer's Labour government bringing the target forward five years, after the Rishi Sunak's Conservatives pushed the date back to 2035. Hybrid vehicles still have the later date of 2035 before the ban comes into effect for them.
This means that anyone looking to buy a new car or van after the clock strikes midnight on 31 December, 2029, will need to be scouting out their closest electric vehicle power stations.
Now the ban doesn't outright outlaw manual cars, but it does mean that owning one will get more complicated in the following years. All electric vehicles by default are automatic, which means the ban effectively gives manual cars a death sentence.
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Independent of the law change, the popularity of manual cars has also been in decline, with several car brands opting to manufacture their newest models as automatics for increased convenience when driving.
What happens to petrol stations after 2030?
Fuelling up will also become more complicated in the years after 2030. Less petrol and diesel cars on the road means fewer petrol stations will be needed. Meanwhile charging stations will increase in demand as more road users make the switch.
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However, as mentioned before, this change won't be overnight, as there currently isn't enough charging stations in the country to support a nation of electric vehicle drivers.
So no, you won't wake up one day to discover beloved gas guzzling cars are outlawed - but they will soon be relic of the past.
Brenna Cooper