What percent of cars in Ireland are manual?

Shifting Landscape: Manual Cars in Ireland

Ireland’s roads have been dominated by manual transmission vehicles for decades. However, this landscape is undergoing a gradual shift towards automatic and electric cars.

Current Status

As of 2023, a significant majority of passenger cars registered in Ireland are equipped with manual transmissions. The exact percentage is difficult to determine due to varying estimates, but it is generally accepted that over 70% of cars on the road are manual.

Factors Influencing the Shift

Several factors are contributing to the decline in manual car ownership in Ireland. These include:

• Rising popularity of electric cars: Electric vehicles typically come with automatic transmissions, making them more accessible to drivers who may not be comfortable with manual gearboxes.
• Increased availability of automatic gasoline and diesel cars: Automatic transmissions are becoming more common in gasoline and diesel-powered cars, providing drivers with a wider range of options.
• Convenience and safety features: Automatic cars offer a smoother and more convenient driving experience, especially in urban areas with heavy traffic. They also come with advanced safety features, such as lane-keeping assist and adaptive cruise control.
• Millennial and Gen-Z preferences: Younger generations are more likely to prefer automatic transmissions over manual ones, as they view them as easier to drive and more practical for everyday use.

Future Outlook

Despite the current prevalence of manual cars, the future of automotive transmission in Ireland looks different. The rapid increase in sales of automatic and electric cars indicates a shift towards a more automated driving experience.

Industry experts predict that the percentage of manual transmission cars on the road will continue to decline in the coming years. Electric vehicles are poised to play a significant role in this transition, offering drivers a zero-emission, automatic driving experience.

Conclusion

While manual transmission cars still represent the majority of vehicles in Ireland today, the automotive landscape is evolving at a rapid pace. The increasing popularity of automatic and electric cars points towards a future where manual gearboxes become less prevalent, creating a dramatically different driving landscape on the Emerald Isle.