Back in 2001, the BMW 7 Series introduced the electric parking brake to the world. Since then, the number of cars using them has gone through the roof leading to the slow, but inevitable, demise of the manual handbrake.
This demise has been confirmed in an independent study carried out by CarGurus which found less than a quarter of all new cars come with the option of an actual lever-operated parking brake.
After analysing the model line-ups of 33 mainstream manufacturers including the likes of Alfa Romeo, Ford and Renault, it was found that only 24% of cars have the option, down from 30% last year. Notable causes for the lower percentage include the BMW 1 and 3 Series opting for an electric alternative in the last 12 months.
They found that, generally speaking, the manual handbrake is now reserved for sportier cars, the Mazda MX-5 and BMW M2, for example, and small hatchbacks such as the Volkswagen Polo and Seat Ibiza. Only one brand still offers it across its whole range – Dacia. What a surprise.
On the other end of the scale, Alfa Romeo, DS, Honda, Jaguar, Land Rover, Lexus, Mercedes, Porsche and Volvo have all completely ditched the manual setup with electric parking brakes on every single one of their models.
So why is this happening? Well, it makes sense to be perfectly honest as there are numerous benefits to the electric parking brake.
It takes less effort to apply, it holds the car more effectively with no need for any adjustments and takes up much less space than a bulky handbrake lever. They also enable helpful features such as hill-hold assist.
Having said all of that, it’s still kind of sad to see, isn’t it? Whilst the electric alternative has its benefits, it’s more complex and expensive and simply not as fun.
Not only is it the demise of the manual handbrake but also of the universally-adored handbrake turn. As Jeremy Clarkson said in an episode of Top Gear (see the full clip below), “Like a peacock has its feathers, a young man has his handbrake”.
Unfortunately, this trend is set to continue and eventually the day will come when no new cars come with the option of a manual handbrake.
Are you ready for that day? Let us know in the comments section below or via our Facebook and Twitter pages.
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