Disneyland faces a February deadline to retire Autopia’s gas-powered engines or close the 1955 opening day Tomorrowland attraction under a settlement agreement with the state agency that regulates air pollution in California.
MiceChat reports Disneyland faces a state-mandated deadline to retire the gas-powered cars on Autopia by Feb. 1 or shut down the attraction.
Climate Colored Goggles discovered Autopia’s state-mandated deadline for retiring the gas cars after filing a California Public Records Act request with the California Air Resources Board to review a copy of Disney’s settlement compliance plan.
Disneyland plans to update Autopia with fully electric vehicles and retire the gas engines that have powered the Tomorrowland race track attraction since the 1955 debut of the Anaheim theme park.
Disneyland reached an agreement with the Air Resources Board to retire the current Autopia gas-powered engines in early 2027, according to Disneyland officials.
Disneyland is working on the design, engineering and testing of a fully electric Autopia ride vehicle prototype, according to Disneyland officials.
Disneyland paid a $56,000 settlement to the California Air Resources Board in 2024 after disclosing the Honda engines on Autopia ride vehicles were operating without certified emission controls.
The California Air Resources Board fine was the result of an administrative oversight that was promptly corrected with no impact to the environment, according to Disneyland officials.
Disneyland will share more details soon on the updates planned for the Autopia attraction in Tomorrowland. Closing and reopening dates have not yet been set for the Autopia update.
Disneyland originally announced plans in 2024 to convert Autopia from gas to electric power by fall 2026.
The last major Autopia refurbishment took place in 2016 when Honda became the ride’s sponsor. Previous ride sponsors were Chevron (2000-2012) and Richfield Oil (1955-1970), according to D23.
The 1955 opening day attraction was redesigned in 1959, 1964 and 1968, according to D23. An extensive remodeling related to the Chevron sponsorship closed Autopia from September 1999 through June 2000, according to D23.
Disneyland’s 10-year contract with Honda to sponsor Autopia ends in 2026, according to WDW News Today.
Florida’s Magic Kingdom and Disneyland Paris also have versions of the Autopia attraction. Tokyo Disneyland closed its Grand Circuit Raceway ride in 2017. The Hong Kong Disneyland Autopia — which closed in 2016 — featured electric cars with lighting effects and onboard audio, according to WDW News Today.
Electrifying Autopia is part of Disney’s goal of incorporating a net zero emissions future into every aspect of the Disneyland resort and reducing its overall carbon footprint, according to Disneyland officials.
The Disneyland resort has made a sustainability commitment of reaching net zero emissions by 2030 by increasingly relying on cleaner renewable energy sources.
