Disneyland Resort has confirmed some details about their plan to replace Autopia’s gas cars with electric vehicles.

Autopia Electrification

After LA Times climate columnist Sammy Roth broke the news earlier this month, electric vehicle activists began pressuring Disney to commit to fully electric vehicles, not hybrids, and to phase out the gasoline cars within two years.

On Thursday, Disneyland spokesperson Jessica Good told The Times that the resort would do both. She confirmed the electrification project “means fully electric — it does not mean hybrid or any other version of a gasoline combustion engine.” She also said they “will no longer be using the current engines within the next 30 months.”

This means the electrification process will be complete by fall 2026. Autopia remains operating with no closing date, although the switch may happen gradually. Good said, “Reimagining an attraction does take time, so we don’t have a reopening date at this time.”

Zan Dubin, the advocate leading the pressure campaign, said this announcement was a “huge victory” and a reminder that climate activism works.

She paraphrased Abraham Lincoln, saying, “All it takes for bad stuff to keep happening is for good people to do nothing. And we refuse to stand by and do nothing.”

Dubin was planning a rally outside Walt Disney Studios in Burbank on Sunday. The event will move forward as a celebration. Plug In America, a national electric vehicle advocacy group, is sponsoring the event.

Plug In America executive director Joel Levin said, “I’m glad they’re stepping up and doing the right thing. It’s a great way for the public to experience electrification, to turn it into a teachable moment, rather than the experience of standing next to a gas lawnmower, which is what it feels like now.”

Before breaking the original news, Roth spoke to Disney Legend Bob Gurr, who designed Autopia decades ago. Gurr said he was proud of his work but agreed the gas cars needed to go. Gurr and Roth both expressed hope for a Tomorrowland focused on renewable energy, public transit, and other sustainable technologies that help create a better tomorrow.

Autopia last underwent a major refurbishment in 2016 when Honda became the ride’s sponsor. The ride also exists at Disneyland Paris. Magic Kingdom has a version named Tomorrowland Speedway. Versions of the ride previously existed at Tokyo Disneyland and Hong Kong Disneyland. The latter used electric cars.

For more Disneyland Resort news and info, follow Disneyland News Today on Twitter, Facebook, and Instagram. For Disney Parks news worldwide, visit WDWNT.