Driving in the UK is about to get worse, a lot worse as soul is ripped from cars

Close your eyes and picture what a car should look like. It's likely that three things would jump out, the car tyres, steering wheel and a gearstick. Yet within less than half a decade, one of these could have disappeared completely in one of the biggest shake-ups to motoring. Say goodbye to the gearstick.

New research by Vehicle Data Global (VDG) has suggested that all new cars in the UK will be sold with an automatic transmission by 2030. What a loss. Of course, the decline of the manual shifter is due to one thing, the rise of electric and hybrid cars. Electric vehicles do not have traditional multi-speed gearboxes or clutches like your old petrol and diesel models. Most are fitted instead with a single-speed transmission, no gears in the traditional sense, and therefore no need for a gearstick.

Instead, the space previously occupied by the shifter will likely sit a console switch to adjust the radio volume or the climate controls. How exciting. Not.

As a petrolhead, the gearstick is almost at the heart of the driving experience and losing it will be a major blow to those who love cars. Need a burst of acceleration to overtake a car ahead, flick your hand to the left, punch down a gear or two and the engine responds with a roar, thrusting the motor into life.

Cruising down the motorway and want to chill? Move the stick into fifth. Immediately, the car will reduce its speed. Yes on an electric car you can jab the throttle and get an instant burst of acceleration, while regenerative braking will usually reduce the speed of EVs in the blink of an eye.

However, it doesn't feel as intuitive and in control as with a manual car. Using a gear stick feels instinctive, almost like riding a bike. You know what you're going to get.

Easing off the throttle on an EV is less predictable, will the car pick up speed as quickly as you want? Having the ability to manually select a gear is also likely to help in icy and snowy conditions. Placing the car in a higher gear will massively reduce wheelspin, ensuring that motorists can stay on the road.

Not only is punching through the gearbox more fun and raw, an element us petrolheads simply need from our cars, but the constant attention is likely to be a major safety boost.

Yes, automatic driving is easy, but is it too easy? Could it be that motorists start losing concentration behind the wheel? Quite possibly. Ripping out the gearstick feels like ripping out the soul of the car. And I for one will mourn its loss.