As of: January 25, 2024, 5:30 a.m
By: Laura Forster
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“Only ten percent of my driving students get the normal B driving license,” says Udo Wagner, regional chairman of the driving instructors association and owner of the “Follow me” driving school with branches in Unterhaching, Taufkirchen and Deisenhofen.
© laura forster
The demand for the new combination driving license is increasing.
The driving schools in the Munich district also feel this.
And the driving instructors also say: the future lies in automatic transmissions.
District
– Anyone traveling on the road sees more and more electric cars.
However, cars with electric drives and plug-in hybrids are not available with a manual transmission; more and more models are also equipped with an automatic transmission.
The gearshift is on the decline.
This is also evident in the driving schools in the Munich district.
B197 driving license is particularly popular
“Only ten percent of my driving students get the normal B driving license,” says Udo Wagner, regional chairman of the driving instructors association and owner of the “Follow me” driving school with branches in Unterhaching, Taufkirchen and Deisenhofen.
The majority choose the B197 driving license, which has been available since April 2021.
The driving license combines driving training in an automatic vehicle with additional gearshift training.
“The learner learner learns to drive much more quickly because he can concentrate fully on the traffic at the beginning.
All he has to do is operate the brakes and gas,” explains Wagner.
As soon as the learner driver has gained a bit of experience, he switches to a manual transmission.
At least ten driving lessons in a car with a clutch and a 15-minute test drive with a driving instructor must be completed so that the student driver can later drive a car with a gear shift.
However, the practical test can take place on a car with an automatic transmission.
“It’s less stressful,” says Petra Schilling-Fankhänel, who runs the Eberl driving school in Unterschleißheim.
“The engine cannot stall and the test specimen cannot switch on.” At Schilling-Fankhänel, demand for the new B197 only increased noticeably about nine months ago.
“It hit like a bomb straight away in Munich, but it took a while for us.” Around half of the driving students now opt for the combination driving license.
“In principle, with the B197 you have no disadvantage compared to the normal B driving license,” says Schilling-Fankhänel.
You can also drive a stick-shift car abroad.
However, one thing should be noted: If you want to get a trailer driving license, you must complete it with a manual transmission, otherwise the key number 78 will be noted on the driving license and the driver is only allowed to tow a trailer with an automatic car.
Driving license costs up to 4000 euros
Schilling-Fankhänel employs three full-time driving instructors and six temporary drivers, who have six cars at their disposal to teach students how to drive.
“Everything has become more expensive.
The fuel costs, the acquisition costs and the wage costs.” This also affects the driver’s license.
The students have to expect 3,500 to 4,000 euros.
“It’s no longer cheap,” says Schilling-Fankhänel, who has been a driving instructor for 28 years.
The price has also increased because students need more and more driving lessons as the requirements become higher.
“You not only have to know technical things, but you also have to be able to operate the assistance systems such as cruise control.
That’s a hell of a lot for a novice driver when you consider that the traffic is getting bigger and bigger.”
Learner drivers are getting older and older
While in Unterschleißheim it is mainly young adults who have just come of age who are getting their driving license, the clientele at Wagner has changed.
“Many young people are no longer so keen to get their driving license.
You can get everywhere with public transport.
Parents are more likely to drag their children to driving school,” says Wagner.
More and more people in their early 30s are contacting Wagner because they need to be able to drive for work.
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The future lies in automatic transmissions
Wagner and Schilling-Fankhänel agree that the future lies in automatic transmissions - also with regard to autonomous driving.
“We have two feet, so two pedals fit and not three,” says Wagner.
“The Americans have understood this for a long time.” Schilling-Fankhänel assumes that it will still be some time before there are no more manual cars on the road.