Most if not all new automatics have paddles, so you can manually downshift. Use it regularly to manage speed down hill, 3rd is usually enough to hold 50 down hill...

I think all electric vehicles will be automatic, and most use regenerative braking
(brakes using the motors to some extent, and usually configurable).

I drove an electric motorbike that had regenerative braking (configurable). It was amazing how quickly you could slow down just by reducing the throttle and not using the breaks at all.

At some stage manual cars will be a thing of the past at least for new electric cars which will be the primary replacements in next 5-10 years

I have a question regarding this and despite my extensive googling I haven’t been able to find the answer to it.

If somebody takes their driving test in an automatic car here will it still be indicated on the driving licence?

I’m asking because my son is just about to apply to take his driving test and the instructor that he had his initial lessons with is getting an automatic car and suggested that given the new law he might want to take the test in that as it will be easier to pass.
That’s great and he would still be able to drive a manual car here in Switzerland but if there is a mention of automatic transmission on the licence it may be an issue for renting are car or driving in another country should he move in the future.

He is a pretty good driver and we have done lots of practice in my car which is a manual so my gut feeling is for him to do his test in a manual car.

Yes, it is indicated. At the back of the license, the restrictions are noted under "12. Zusatzangaben". The restrictions are written as number-codes, unless you know what it means, you'll have no idea.

I knew that it was indicated on current licences but just wondered if it would change for licences issued after the new law.

No. The entry/code will not be on the license as legal base for the entry Art. 88a Abs. 1 VZV simply no longer exists.
https://www.admin.ch/opc/de/classifi...ndex.html#a88a

Furthermore, those which have the entry on the license can get a new one which no longer has it (unless there is driving abilitity realted reason). Art. 151l Abs. 5 VZV
https://www.admin.ch/opc/de/classifi...dex.html#a151l

Automatic entry is Code 78.
Here all codes: http://www.astra2.admin.ch/media/pdf...-20_2261_d.pdf


Fun fact: With the automatic restriction an other restriction is a thing of the past. Art. 88a Abs. 1 VZV also specified that if you did the test with an electric car you could drive only electric vehicles.

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