Key facts
- Disney paid $56,250 and agreed to retire the gas-engine Autopia fleet by early 2027 in a settlement with California.
- The gasoline cars run on 8.5 horsepower Honda four-stroke engines and emit exhaust for up to 16 hours a day, the report said.
- The California Air Resources Board issued a notice of violation against Disney in 2024 over emissions certification for the cars.
- A gas-powered Autopia equivalent at Disney World in Orlando still runs on gas engines with no known plans to go electric, the report said.
Disney agreed to retire the gasoline-powered Autopia fleet at Disneyland by early 2027 and replace the ride's cars with electric vehicles, after California regulators found the attraction had not obtained proper emissions certification for its engines.
The California Air Resources Board issued a notice of violation against Disney in 2024 over the cars, and Disney paid $56,250 under a settlement with the state, according to the report. Disney declined multiple requests for comment and did not permit photographs or video inside the park for the article.
The cars run on 8.5 horsepower Honda four-stroke engines and produce exhaust for up to 16 hours a day, according to the report. Bob Gurr, who designed the attraction for Walt Disney, said Disney executives showed him a model of the new ride earlier in 2026 and told him the track would be electrified, removing the need for a battery in each car. Gurr's representative later asked to retract his interview remarks, saying Disney had asked him to stop giving interviews about the ride.
The gas-powered Autopia has run at the Anaheim park since 1955, when Walt Disney opened Disneyland. A similar ride at Disney World in Orlando still uses gas engines, with no known plans to go electric, according to the report.