Electric cars outsold the manual transmission for the first time in 2019

The manual transmission's long, harrowing demise continued in 2019. For the first time, the number of electric cars sold new in America was higher than the number of vehicles delivered with three pedals and a clutch disc.

1.1% of Americans who bought a new car last year selected (or settled for) a manual transmission, which is nearly a rounding error considering annual sales totaled approximately 17.1 million units. In comparison, Green Car Reports wrote electric vehicles held a 1.6% share of the market, which is also negligible in the grand scheme of things. The manual transmission's market share dropped by 0.5% from 2018 to 2019, while EVs rose by 0.1%.

This trend is hardly surprising; the number of cars available with a manual transmission continues to drop, and the electric vehicle segment is growing steadily. Subaru notably announced the Impreza Sport will exclusively be available with a continuously variable transmission (CVT) for the 2020 model year, while Hyundai's Elantra and Veloster Turbo are going automatic-only. The born-again Toyota Supra never offered a stick to begin with.