Google searches for ‘automatic car’ have hit the highest point in two decades, widening the gap with ‘manual car’ more than ever before.
Experts at the UK’s leading car dealership Beck Evans reported a surge in searches, with interest in ‘automatic car’ rising by 525% since 2004 and exceeding ‘manual car’ by 144% in 2025. The gap between searches for ‘automatic car’ and ‘manual car’ is now the widest it has ever been.
This comes as electric vehicles registrations have surged 41.7% in February 2025, compared with February 2024, with a total of 21,244 registered in the UK. Almost all electric cars are automatic due to their single-speed motor.
Petrol cars have seen a 17.3% decline in February 2025 since February 2024, with 39,865 registrations, and diesel cars have fallen 15.1% to 4,241.
Sam Evans, director of Beck Evans, said of the findings, “Manual cars have remained popular in the United Kingdom for longer than in countries like the United States, as they are often cheaper, more reliable, and new drivers are often encouraged to learn how to operate them.
“However, newer car models are increasingly automatic or offer an automatic option. EVs are almost all automatic as they have a single-speed motor that provides constant power, so gears are not needing to be changed manually.
“As these vehicles enter the second-hand market, they become more accessible, and in turn, more affordable.”
