Disneyland Autopia May Go Electric... Eventually

• Disneyland's beloved Autopia ride was always fun, but never emissions-free. Now that may be changing, as the Happiest Place on Earth may go electric.

• The ride has been part of the original park since it opened in 1955, and was the first place many youngsters learned to drive a car.

• Neither the exact powertrain, nor its arrival date, has not been announced.

Everyone loves the Disneyland Autopia: the weird, disconnected steering, the metal guide rail down the middle of the cement track, the huge bumpers front and rear that practically encouraged you to crash into your brother’s car in front of you and laugh. Hahaha. It’s where many, if not most of us, learned to drive

But way back when, those engines were terrible from an emissions standpoint. There were Kawasaki and other powerplants under the sleek fiberglass bodies back then, and exhaust was rampant in Tomorrowland. Eight years ago, Honda replaced all the old gas engines in the Autopia cars with more efficient Honda iGX270 engines. That was better but still not emissions-free.

Now Disney appears to be suggesting it might, at some future date, offer an even cleaner source of power. But it is not saying what that source will be.

A recent story in the Los Angeles Times quoted a park spokesperson alluding to better powerplants in the cars in the future. When asked, that same spokesperson shared the same quote with Autoweek:

“Since opening with Disneyland park in 1955, Autopia has remained a guest-favorite most popular with young kids experiencing driving for the first time. As the industry moves toward alternative fuel sources, we have developed a roadmap to electrify this attraction and are evaluating technology that will enable us to convert from gas engines in the next few years,“ said spokesperson Jessica Good.

Honda has been the sponsor of the ride since 2016, and will continue to be through at least 2026. So maybe Honda, which is slowly coming around to offering BEVs in its fleet, could provide an all-electric Autopian solution? When asked, Honda replied with a non-committal, but generally pro-cleaner-air corporate statement.

“Honda began its sponsorship of the Autopia attraction in 2016, which allowed Honda to replace the existing engines with cleaner, more efficient engines. As a part of our sponsorship, we continue to work with Disneyland Resort to tell inspirational stories that celebrate personal mobility and freedom, which are at the heart of the attraction and a good fit for Honda’s corporate slogan, ‘The Power of Dreams.’”

But do dreams mean battery-electric vehicles?

“Honda is working toward its global goal of carbon neutrality for all its business activities by 2050 and plans to make battery-electric and fuel-cell electric vehicles represent 100% of auto sales by 2040. This includes working closely with our partners to ensure our carbon neutrality goals align.”

So, yes to Autopian BEVs? It’s not clear. Or maybe they have nothing they are ready to share at this point, which is fine.

But “electrification” could mean anything from hybrids to BEVs to fuel-cell electric vehicles, prompting a couple EV activists to focus on the Disney Autopian conversion as an issue.

“We don’t see anything in either Disneyland or Honda’s statements that says they are committing to replacing Autopia’s gas cars with all-electric cars or that they’ll complete a revamp quickly,” said Zan Dubin, a climate activist and co-founder of National Drive Electric Week. “We applaud Disneyland for the decarbonization actions they have taken and plan to. But hybrids won’t protect employees’ or visitors’ lungs, and further delay is dangerous and unnecessary.”

Dubin sees battery-electric vehicles, or BEVs, as the only way forward.

“Cars without tailpipes are the only solution. Disneyland has the responsibility to expeditiously protect the health of its employees, and it has a golden opportunity to set an inspiring, innovative, and exciting example that can reach millions as we all face the challenge of climate change together. Will it be the Happiest or the Smoggiest Place on Earth?”

Ouch. That last zinger had to hurt.

Disneyland has pointed out that it “has developed and continue(s) to build upon a robust campus decarbonization roadmap that guides our site toward net zero emissions by 2030. This effort includes a holistic view of driving energy efficiency, increasing our reliance on renewable energy, and shifting pollution-intensive fossil fuels to cleaner sources of energy, where feasible.”

The park pointed out that it has also exceeded the California Air Resources Board (CARB) zero-emission-vehicle (ZEV) 2024 milestone by converting 14% of the affected fleet—exceeding the CARB 10% 2024 milestone—and will continue to meet or exceed CARB milestones.

That includes two rides operating all-electric right now in Disneyland Southern California, the Radiator Springs Racers and Luigi’s Rollickin’ Roadsters, both in Carsland.

But again, are the Autopia cars going to be electric? Filter the corporatespeak:

“DLR (Disneyland Resorts) continues to evaluate opportunities for zero emissions across our operations and supply chain to ensure we have a portfolio approach to our sustainability commitments. By prioritizing projects that meet multiple criteria including environmental outcome, ROI, and speed of implementation, we make sure the overall sustainability program continues to grow.”

And those initiatives are not without benefit. Over the past year and a half, Disney says, this approach has delivered over 10 million kWh in energy savings.

That’s nothing to sneeze at, Sneezy. Need more general reassurance?

“By continuing to invest in a net zero emissions future and incorporating these principles in everything we do, DLR will reduce its carbon footprint, continue to operate in a responsible manner, and hopefully inspire other companies to do the same.”

None of that is enough for activist Dubin, who is organizing a protest at Disney headquarters in Burbank (parking at Disneyland was too complicated to hold a protest there). She and fellow activist Paul Scott have filed official complaints about Autopia to the AQMD (Air Quality Management District) and CARB—though, she says, neither of those entities have responded—and DLR.

So there. When and if either Honda and/or Disney have anything more on this, you’ll be the first to know.