Three in four used cars for sale are now automatics, experts claim

AA Cars, which released the research, said the increasing availability of electric vehicles (EVs) on the second-hand market is likely to be contributing to these figures. Nearly all emission-free cars are automatic.

Sales of used EVs soared by 120 percent in the first quarter of this year, figures showed.

James Fairclough, chief executive of AA Cars, said: “Car manufacturers have responded to the surging popularity of EVs by bringing out ever more advanced models.

“There are now no fewer than 140 different plug-in models for sale in the UK.

“As more of these vehicles make their way into the second-hand market, we are seeing a steady rise in the number of used automatics for sale.

“In some areas, autos now account for over 70 percent of the used market.”

Brentford, in west London, is the area with the highest proportion of automatics for sale on the AA Cars platform – 72.2 percent of the area’s pre-owned car stocks.

In contrast, Gloucester has the lowest proportion of used automatics for sale, at just 16.8 percent of its car market.

Mr Fairclough said: “Better availability and choice is the secondhand car market’s trump card right now, as the shortage of new cars for sale leads ever more drivers to choose a used model instead.”