More cars are switching from manual parking brakes using a pull-up lever to the electrical type requiring the touch of a button. The proof is in the latest edition of the CarGurus U.K. Manual Handbrake Report, released in 2024. First released in 2018, the Car Gurus report has documented the steady decline of cable-operated manual handbrakes in new cars during the intervening years. From 2018, when only 37% of new cars were equipped with manual parking brakes, the percentage has dropped to a low of 8% in 2024. The vast majority of new cars now come equipped with what is known as EPB, which stands for Electric Parking Brake or Electronic Parking Brake. There are some good reasons and some not-so-good reasons for the switch from manual to electric parking brakes.
One major benefit of EPB is its ease of use, especially for those who may have a limited amount of upper body strength. Instead of having to pull up on a manual brake lever, a simple finger’s push or lift of the brake button can set or release the parking brake. With EPB, electric motors push against the brake pads and engage the parking brake. An EPB system can also be integrated into other vehicle functions, such as its ability to disengage when you step on the gas, engage the clutch, or use the hill-holder feature. This aspect of EPB makes the bad parking habit that can warp your brake rotors unlikely. EPB also frees more space on the center console for things like larger cupholders.
Manual parking brakes have been around since the early days of automotive history, back when most vehicles had manual transmissions. The parking brake was a device that would keep your car or truck from rolling away if it popped out of gear while parked. Manual parking brakes started out as a foot pedal located to the left of the clutch pedal. As imported vehicles from Europe and Asia became popular, the parking brake lever, placed between a car’s front bucket seats and actuated by the driver’s right arm, became popular. Both the foot pedal and the ‘handbrake’ used a system of cables that could be adjusted as needed.
An EPB system, on the other hand, is much more complex. Thanks to its electrical activation of the parking brake, any malfunction of the EPB will likely result in a significant repair cost if it happens out of warranty. Below-freezing temperatures may cause the brake calipers to freeze solid, while the electric motors can fail. Another issue can happen with in the event of a dead battery, which may make it impossible to release the electric parking brake, requiring the car to be towed in for repairs.
The massive switch to electric parking brakes has happened without any warning and likely without any concern. While you can still get a manual parking brake on enthusiast cars like the Mazda Miata, Ford Mustang, and the Subaru BRZ/Toyota 86 twins, the mass market has chosen convenience.

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