Volkswagen may ditch manual gear by 2030: Report

Volkswagen intends to do away with manual transmission in its models from 2030, said a report by German magazine Auto Motor und Sport. As the automaker has aimed to go all-electric by the given year, it is being suggested that this move might be an attempt to cut costs given the expenses of electrification. Volkswagen vehicles with an automatic transmission may become a norm for the brand in its biggest markets such as Europe, North America and China.

It is being stated that Volkswagen's choice of prioritising direct-shift gearbox to a manual transmission and also elimination of the clutch pedal may begin from 2023 when the automaker is slated to introduce its third-generation Tiguan. It is being believed that the new Tiguan compact crossover can feature an automatic gearbox. It is also being speculated that Volkswagen Passant will too come with automatic transmission coming in the same year as the former.

The report also mentioned a review that showed that out of a total of 5,838 models across all the manufacturers, only 1,870 vehicles with manual transmission are currently available in Germany. Amongst these, 218 vehicles with five-speed and 1,652 with six-speed transmissions will be available. With 353 Volkswagen models from 15 model series that does not include Multivan, 214 vehicles feature automatic and 139 come with manual transmission.

Luxury automaker Mercedes-Benz also confirmed last year that it is pulling the plug on the manual transmission. The report also mentioned that the switch rate in the former might be lower compared to Volkswagen. If at all by 2030, Volkswagen successfully ditches the manual gearbox, one can assume that it might also become the new normal for the automaker's other brands.