Nearly every automaker now has at least one electric vehicle (EV) on sale, and most plan to offer a mostly EV lineup in the 2030s. But the Mouse has been a little late in getting on board.
No longer. “Since opening with Disneyland park in 1955, Autopia has remained a guest-favorite most popular with young kids experiencing driving for the first time,” a spokesperson for the Walt Disney Company told the Los Angeles Times last week. “As the industry moves toward alternative fuel sources, we have developed a road map to electrify this attraction and are evaluating technology that will enable us to convert from gas engines in the next few years.”
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The Autopia cars need an update. They date from 1955, when designers aimed to make them look like future cars. But their drivetrains have been updated since. Industry publication Automotive News (AN) explains, “American Honda has sponsored Autopia since 2016, when it replaced Chevron. As part of a 10-year partnership with Disneyland, the automaker paid for a refurbishment that included putting 8.5-hp versions of its iGX series engines into the ride’s 96 cars, which now wear Honda logos and colors.”
They currently have a maximum speed of 6.5 mph.
There’s no word on what will replace the engines. But AN notes that “Hong Kong Disneyland used electric cars for its version of Autopia — which Honda Motor Co. also sponsored — from 2006 until 2016.”
Disney does seem open to working with other automakers. The company recently worked with Hyundai to design a Disney version of that brand’s all-electric Ioniq 5 SUV complete with Mickey-Mouse-themed wheels.
