According to the Orange County Register, Disneyland Resort has set the timeline for its long-planned replacement of Autopia’s gas cars.
Disney Replacing Autopia Cars
Disneyland is moving forward with plans to replace the gas-powered cars at Autopia with a fleet of fully electric ride vehicles.
The Orange County Register reported that Disneyland officials have reached an agreement with the California Air Resources Board to phase out the attraction’s current gas engines in early 2027.
The resort is currently developing, engineering, and testing a prototype for a fully electric Autopia vehicle. Disneyland has not yet announced when the attraction will close for the work or when it is expected to reopen with the updated cars. Additional details are expected to be released later.
The move slightly revises the timeline first announced in 2024, when Disneyland said Autopia would be converted from gas-powered vehicles to electric cars by fall 2026. The updated agreement now points to the retirement of the existing engines in early 2027.
The classic Tomorrowland ride, which opened with Disneyland Park in 1955, has long allowed guests to drive small cars along a guided roadway, with gasoline engines remaining part of the experience for nearly seven decades.
Autopia last underwent a major refurbishment in 2016, when Honda became the attraction’s sponsor. The ride was previously sponsored by Chevron from 2000 to 2012 and Richfield Oil from Disneyland’s opening in 1955 through 1970, according to D23. The attraction has also seen several redesigns over its history, including updates in 1959, 1964, and 1968. Another major overhaul took place from September 1999 to June 2000 as part of the Chevron sponsorship.
Other versions of the self-driving car attraction continue to operate at Magic Kingdom and Disneyland Paris, though Walt Disney World’s version is known as Tomorrowland Speedway. Tokyo Disneyland’s Grand Circuit Raceway closed in 2017, while Hong Kong Disneyland’s Autopia closed in 2016. The Hong Kong version used electric cars and included lighting effects and onboard audio.
Disneyland officials framed the Autopia update as part of the resort’s broader sustainability goals. Disneyland Resort has committed to reaching net zero emissions by 2030, with plans to reduce its carbon footprint and increase its use of cleaner and renewable energy sources.
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