Disneyland: The Happiest Place on Earth Is Going Electric

Autopia Finally Will Be Without Fumes

Disneyland opened on Sunday, July 17, 1955. My family (mom, dad, older sister and me) went on the second day it was open, July 18. I’ve now been driving electric cars for years, but the cars at Autopia still sputter with their little gas engines, filling the surrounding air with noxious emissions. Disney now says it is going to catch up with the world outside—eventually.

The Walt Disney Company is four years into its 2030 Environmental Goals plan that focuses on water, waste, materials, sustainable design and, most interesting to Clean Fleet Report, greenhouse gas emissions, which are front and center at one of the oldest rides at the park.

One of Disneyland’s original attractions, Autopia, will see the ride’s cars go from using a 270cc, 8.5 horsepower Honda gasoline engine, with a top speed of 6.5 mph, to some sort of electrification. Disneyland hasn’t specified if the two-passenger Autopia cars will be hybrids or all-electric, but our guess is they will be battery electric, making this popular ride zero emissions. And quiet!

This wouldn’t be a first for Disney worldwide—the Autopia cars at Hong Kong Disneyland have been all-electric since 2006, a year after the park opened for business, though the ride closed in 2016 to make way for a new attraction, Marvel’s Avengers Quinjet Experience.

Honda’s Next Move?

Expect Honda to play an important role in the Autopia cars going green by drawing from the company’s considerable experience in building battery electric, hybrid, plug-in hybrid, and hydrogen fuel cell electric vehicles.

The cars themselves were completely new in 2000 with three designs based on a Volkswagen Beetle convertible, a sports car and an off-roader. When Honda became the ride’s sponsor in 2016, the cars were repainted using Honda automotive colors, given new tires, new engines and even a Honda badge on the hood.

Autopia is the last of the Tomorrowland original rides still operating since the park opened. Like millions of little kids, Autopia was the first place I “drove” a car. The gas pedal that also acts as the brake when lifting off and a sort-of-functioning steering wheel gave a sensation of doing what mom and dad did, even though the cars ran on a guide that keeps the driver from going off the track. It didn’t matter—it was a blast!

Going Electric

Going electric will mean no more breathing gas fumes which, when combined with Anaheim’s 90+ degree summer days, can make going on the Autopia ride less than ideal.

The Autopia cars aren’t the only transportation in the park being converted to zero or low-emission vehicles. Already 14 percent of the resort’s vehicles have been converted to zero-emission, so Autopia will join these others that are treading lighter on the environment.

• The Parking Lot Trams run on compressed natural gas (CNG), replacing 56,000 gallons of diesel each year. The tram for most Disneyland guests is the first ride they will take, an essential part of making a visit more convenient.

• The Disneyland Monorail, circling the park on a 2.5 mile loop, has been zero-emissions since it opened in 1959. The design is both retro and futuristic, retaining the same look as when it was first built.

• The Disneyland Railroad and Mark Twain Riverboat were converted to biodiesel made from recycled cooking oil in 2009. The reuse of plant material saves about 200,000 gallons of petroleum-based diesel every year.

• The Main Street Vehicles, Sailing Ship Columbia, and the Jungle Cruise boats are powered by compressed natural gas, while the Radiator Springs Racers and Luigi’s Rollick’n Roadsters are electric, powered by 1,400 solar panels.

• The Finding Nemo Submarine Voyage went through a major refurbishment in 2007. When the ride reopened in 2008 the submarines were powered by electricity, replacing diesel engines.

The next time you are at Disneyland, take a few minutes to appreciate this usually unnoticed and unrecognized part of the park operation. The vehicles are an integral element of an enjoyable visit. As they become lighter on the environment, they will help everyone breathe easier.

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