Why automatic driving lessons are hard to find (and what to do about it)

Try to book automatic lessons in a lot of towns and you hit the same wall: the instructors who teach in automatic cars have waiting lists, and the ones with gaps are quoting above the local manual rate. Demand has moved faster than the instructor fleet.

This guide covers what the DVSA figures show, why demand has grown, why supply is slow to follow, and what learners and instructors can do about it.

The numbers

DVSA publishes car test figures by transmission. In the 2025-26 financial year, DVSA carried out 1,998,621 car driving tests (table DRT121A). 589,483 of them were in automatic cars (table DRT122E, national total). That's 29% of all car tests.

Seven years earlier the picture was very different:

Source: DVSA tables DRT121A and DRT122E, driving test and theory test data: cars.

Automatic tests rose 23% in a single year, from 2024-25 to 2025-26, while car tests overall rose 9%.

The supply side is harder to pin down. DVSA's published instructor statistics don't break the ADI register down by the car an instructor teaches in, and we haven't found an official figure for how many ADIs teach in automatics. What learners report is the symptom: waiting lists and higher prices for automatic lessons in many areas.

Why demand has grown

Electric cars

Most electric cars have no clutch and no gears to change, so they drive like automatics. A test passed in a two-pedal car gives you an automatic-only licence. For a learner whose family already drives an EV or a hybrid automatic, a manual licence covers cars they may never drive.

Women are choosing automatic far more often

DVSA's figures split by gender. In 2025-26, 355,538 of the 889,345 car tests taken by women were in automatics (40%). For men it was 233,940 of 1,109,270 (21%). Women were nearly twice as likely to test in an automatic.

Less to learn at the start

Without a clutch, a learner doesn't have to master biting point, gear changes or stall recovery. That frees up attention for observation, positioning and hazards. Whether it cuts the total number of lessons depends on the learner, and we haven't found an official figure for the difference.

On cost, a higher hourly rate can be offset by needing fewer hours. As a worked example: 30 hours at £45 is £1,350, and 40 hours at £35 is £1,400. Your own numbers will depend on local prices and how quickly you learn.

Anxious and neurodivergent learners

For learners with anxiety, ADHD or autism, the clutch is one more thing to process at every junction. Many find an automatic takes enough load off to make learning manageable. Our guide to teaching ADHD and autistic learners covers this from the instructor's side.

Why supply is slow to follow

Switching means changing the car

Most working ADIs already own or lease a manual tuition car. Switching means replacing it or running a second car. An instructor with a full diary and a car that works has little reason to change mid-lease. Most switches happen when the car is due for replacement anyway, or when a new instructor picks their first car.

Automatic EVs cost more upfront

The automatic cars many learners want are EVs, which usually cost more to buy than a comparable petrol manual, though they're cheaper to fuel. Our EV decision maths post runs the full numbers, including VED and the Expensive Car Supplement. Petrol or hybrid automatics are cheaper to buy, and our best cars for instructors guide compares the options.

Dual controls have to fit

An instructor can't buy a tuition car until they know dual controls can be fitted to it. Check with the fitter before committing to a model.

What learners can do

Start looking early

Don't wait until you're ready to start. Begin looking a couple of months ahead, so you've worked your way up a waiting list by the time you want lessons.

Widen your search area

If you've only looked at instructors 10 minutes away, try 20 or 30. An instructor based further out may still cover your postcode or pick you up from a nearby point.

Ask the useful question

When you enquire, ask: "Do you have a waiting list for automatic lessons, and roughly how long is it?" An instructor who can answer clearly is usually running an organised diary.

Use more than one channel

• Search for "automatic driving lessons" plus your town
• Local Facebook community groups
• Friends who've passed recently
• Online directories that let you filter by car type

The instructor who can take you may not be top of Google.

Be flexible on times

Early mornings, late evenings and weekends are easier to get. After-school and after-work slots are where the queue is.

Filter by transmission

Orbit's instructor directory has a transmission filter, and there are automatic-only listings by area. How useful it is depends on how many instructors near you are listed.

Commit once you find someone

When an instructor can take you, commit to regular lessons. Some instructors offer block bookings, which lock in your slots. Read the refund terms before you pay upfront.

What instructors can do

Automatic tests have gone from 11% to 29% of all car tests since 2018-19. If you're thinking about adding an automatic, there are four realistic routes.

Replace at end of life. When your manual car is due for replacement, make the next one automatic. It costs you least.

Run a second car. Keep the manual and add an automatic. You cover both markets, at the cost of a second set of running costs.

Transition gradually. Take new automatic pupils in the new car while your manual pupils finish on the old one, and shift the balance over several months.

Go fully automatic. Stop taking new manual pupils and let the existing ones finish. The quickest route, but only if you're confident about demand in your area.

The manual-then-automatic option for learners

If you can't find an automatic instructor and don't want to wait, learning in a manual is still an option.

For:

• A manual licence lets you drive both manual and automatic cars. An automatic-only licence has to be upgraded by passing a test in a manual
• Manual instructors are easier to find in most areas
• Some jobs involving vans or fleet cars still expect a manual licence

Against:

• It's harder, and usually takes longer
• You're paying to learn a skill you may never use
• It doesn't help if the reason you wanted automatic was anxiety or overload

If you want an automatic because the clutch was the problem, waiting for the right instructor is usually the better call. Our manual vs automatic comparison goes through the decision in more detail.